QATAR, December 15, 2021 - The 2021 FIFA Arab Cup has reached its penultimate stage. The four remaining teams are set for battle in the semifinal matches scheduled for today: Tunisia, Egypt, Qatar and Algeria have their eyes on the final match, which will determine the winner of the competition.
Here’s a guide for today's semifinal games: Tunisia-Egypt and Qatar-Algeria.
TUNISIA - EGYPT
Encounters between Tunisia and Egypt have never been easy matches for both teams. The most recent game between the pair saw Egypt win 3-1 on 16 November 2018, during the 2019 AFCON qualifiers.
Both teams have won the Arab Cup once each, with Tunisia’s lone title coming in the inaugural competition in 1963, while Egypt became champions in 1992. After beating Maurtinania 5-1 on Day 1 of the group stage, Tunisia ensured second place in their Group after a loss against Syria (2-0) and a win with UAE. In four matches they scored 10 goals, one less than Qatar which lead the goal standings.
Egypt gained confidence game after game during the competition: after a narrow victory over Lebanon (1-0), they hit their stride with a 5-0 defeat of Sudan, following a draw with Algeria in order to win their group. In the quarter-finals stage they gained the access to the semifinals by beating in extra time Jordan 3-1. The intensity of the game hit the Pharaohs’ player physical condition: Mohamed Elshenawy, Ahmed Hegazy, Ayman Ashraf and Hamdy Fathy continued their treatments to be available for the next game.
The match between Tunisia and Egypt is the first scheduled in the semifinal stage, starting from 6:00 pm local time at Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, in Doha.
QATAR - ALGERIA
The clash between Qatar and Algeria is not just a regular match: the reigning Asian champions (Qatar) and African champions (Algeria) are facing each other, after their respective continental triumph in 2019.
Qatar’s journey has been almost perfect so far: by winning all group stage games - against Bahrain (1-0), Oman (2-1) and Iraq (3-0) - and the quarter finals match with UAE (5-0), the hosts ensured a spot in the semifinal stage, as the only last-four side to have won all four of their games so far. By scoring 11 goals in four matches Qatar has shown so far the best attack in the tournament as a team, and by conceding only one goal (against Oman on Day 2) Qatar established also the best defense in the competition.
The most recent encounter between Qatar and Algeria was a friendly that Qatar won 1-0. Still, Algeria’s main target is to reach the finals of the Arab Cup, in order to give continuity to recent results and to establish the best conditions for the following matches, including World Cup qualification stage. The African team, which qualified for the quarter-finals in second place in Group D - being Egypt but with the same amount of points and with the same goal difference - marked 10 goals in the competition until today, one less than Qatar.
The match between Tunisia and Egypt is the second scheduled in the semifinal stage, starting from 10:00 pm local time at Al Thumama Stadium, in Doha, district of Al-Thumama.
The winners will then compete against each other in next Saturday’s final - December 18 - at Al Bayt Stadium, in Al Khor. Losers contest the third-place match at Stadium 974, in Doha, earlier the same day.
