Morocco passes the UAE to reach the final of the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup

Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium has seen a number of upsets on the pitch, most famously during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Both victories were achieved by Japan, 2-1 victories against former world champions Germany and Spain.

But on Monday, Morocco ensured they were not added to the list as they edged past the UAE with a 3-0 win to advance to the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup final to be held here.

Karim El Berkaoui, Aschraf El Mahdioui and Abderrazak Hamdallah were on track to organize a summit showdown against Saudi Arabia or Jordan.

The Atlas Lions, without their first-team players – many of whom are the stars of European football who will play in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations – dominated the first half. Although possession was almost evenly distributed, UAE were happy to absorb the pressure in the opening moments, resorting to counter-attacking where possible.

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In the first ten minutes, the likes of Berkaoui and Anas Bach tested goalkeeper Hamad Al Meqbaali, who collected the good-natured tries. Lucas Pimenta from the UAE was proactive in countering danger through blockades and evictions.

The Moroccan men were egged on by the rowdy fans dressed in red and green, who made up the majority of the 33,898-strong crowd. The UAE players, on the other hand, had to brave loud, annoying whistling cheers every time they went forward.

The Emirates defense was breached for the first time just before the half-hour mark when Hamza El Moussaoui whipped in a cross from the left flank and Berkaoui, retreating slightly, met the pass with an assured header towards the far post.

Going into the break, Tarik Sektioui’s Morocco were by far the better team, having five of seven shots on target compared to the UAE’s one-off. But after the start of the second period, the script was flipped.

The team behind was hungry for an equalizer and played almost the entire second 45 minutes in Morocco’s half. In the 60th minute, the UAE had more than 60 percent of the ball and created more chances. However, the Moroccans managed to make the most of their opportunities.

In the 83rd minute, substitutes Mahdioui and Hamdallah combined, with the former passing the ball into the back of the net, with a slight deflection off a defender. Any realistic hopes of a UAE comeback were dashed as Hamdallah became the goalscorer this time as the Morocco fans were sent into a frenzy for the third time in the match.

While the Morocco players darted around the pitch after the full-time whistle to acknowledge their fans, the UAE players trudged back to the dugout, awaiting their opponents for the third-place match.

Published on December 15, 2025