Gutsy UAE fall short at Gulf Cup

KARIM JAAFAR / AFP

The UAE are out of the Gulf Cup after losing 4-2 to Qatar in their final group game.

The Whites fell two goals down within the opening half an hour, with Akram Afif grabbing a brace for the tournament hosts, before Ali Mabkhout halved the deficit from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute.

Hassan Al Haydos' close-range strike then restored Qatar's two-goal advantage, but a gutsy UAE side refused to buckle and found hope when Mabkhout scored his second with 13 minutes left.

Bert van Marwijk's men pushed for an equaliser, but were caught out in stoppage time as Boualem Khoukhi's header put the result beyond doubt.

The UAE's attention will now turn back to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, with fixtures against Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam to look forward to.