Nizar al-Rashdan's brilliant header proved decisive as Jordan beat ten-man Saudi Arabia at Al Bayt Stadium yesterday to set up a FIFA Arab Cup final against Morocco.In the earlier semi-final, Morocco secured their place in the title clash with another imperious defensive display, brushing past the United Arab Emirates 3-0 at Khalifa International Stadium. Jordan were without star forward Yazan al-Naimat, who suffered a serious knee injury in the quarter-final victory over Iraq. But the World Cup-bound nation showed why they are the highest-scoring side in the Arab Cup in Qatar as they ground out a deserved win against Saudi Arabia. After a first half with few chances for either team, the game opened up when al-Rashdan met an inswinging cross from Mahmoud al-Mardi with a powerful, leaping header to give Jordan the lead. Saudi Arabia responded, with Feras al-Brikan’s smart turn-and-shot well saved by Jordan goalkeeper Yazid Abu Leila. Drama came late when Saudi defender Waleed al-Ahmad was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, as Jordan held on for victory. Jordan, who lost the Asian Cup final to hosts Qatar in February last year, will hope for a better outcome as they return to Lusail Stadium for another final on Thursday, this time against Morocco. Yesterday, Morocco put on a brilliant defensive display against the UAE. So far in the tournament, they have conceded only one goal – an own goal in the first hour of their opening match. Going forward, they have been clinical in converting the chances they create. On this occasion, a Karim El Berkaoui header, from a Hamza El Moussaoui cross just before the half-hour mark, proved decisive. The UAE struggled to penetrate centrally, relying on long-range efforts or a string of crosses, most of which were comfortably dealt with by the superb central pairing of Soufiane Bouftini and Marwane Saadane. The Atlas Lions then sealed the win with two late goals. The first came as a pair of substitutes combined, with Abderrazzaq Hamdallah squaring for Achraf El Mahdioui to guide his shot home from inside the box. The second saw the provider turn finisher, as Hamdallah tucked home a Mohamed Boulacsout cross to book Morocco’s passage to the final.UAE coach Cosmin Olariu expressed regret over the loss. “The scoreline does not reflect the course of the game. My team performed well, especially in the second half, but we did not capitalize on our opportunities.” He added: “We started the match positively, but conceded an early goal. In the second half, we controlled the ball and created more chances than in any previous match, but Morocco took advantage of counter-attacks before the end of the half and scored two more goals that decided the match.” Olariu continued: “We took risks to try to recover, but faced a strong, well-organized defensive team. Even when they made mistakes, we did not take advantage of them.”He also noted that physical fatigue and injuries affected the team’s performance in the semi-final. “We played 120 minutes against Algeria, and it was difficult to prepare in just two days for a tough match against Morocco. We also played five matches in nine days and lost four players to injuries, which impacted us greatly.” Concluding, Olariu said: “At the start of the tournament, no one expected us to progress from the group stage, but we reached the semi-finals and faced strong teams like Egypt and Algeria, proving our ability to handle pressure. Despite fielding many young players, they gained valuable experience that will benefit their future through this tournament.”

Football icon Lionel Messi's second day in India passed smoothly yesterday, after a chaotic opening to his three-day tour, as the World Cup winner kicked balls into the crowd and met cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.Messi greeted excited fans decked out in Argentina football jerseys at a packed Wankhede stadium in India's financial hub Mumbai, as supporters chanted his name.The 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar took centre stage in the presence of India's sporting royalty including Tendulkar and football star Sunil Chhetri.Messi along with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul are part of a so-called GOAT Tour of a cricket-crazy nation.Cricket great Tendulkar presented Messi with his iconic number 10 jersey from India's 2011 World Cup triumph at the same venue."I have spent some incredible moments here," said batting star Tendulkar."Mumbai is a city of dreams and number of dreams have seen the finish line here on this very venue and without your support we could never have seen those golden moments in 2011."And today having all three greats of game here is indeed a golden moment for Mumbai, Mumbaikars and India."Although a cricket powerhouse, the nation of 1.4 billion struggles on the football pitch and are 142nd on the FIFA rankings."Thank you for being here and encouraging youngsters," said Tendulkar. "I hope football here in India also reaches the heights that we all aspire."The Mumbai event went smoothly compared to Saturday's in the eastern city of Kolkata where heavy security left fans struggling to catch a glimpse of Messi.Frustrated fans, many having paid more than $100 for tickets, broke down barricades and stormed the pitch after the superstar abruptly left the arena.Spectators also ripped out stadium seats and hurled water bottles onto the track.One person has been arrested for the incident.Before the chaos erupted, Messi unveiled a 21-metre (70-foot) statue which shows him holding aloft the World Cup in 2022.The footballer was in Hyderabad city later on Saturday where he addressed the crowd briefly in Spanish.Messi wraps up his India tour on Monday, with a possible meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The footballer won his second consecutive Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player award this week after propelling Inter Miami to the MLS title and leading the league in goals.The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward will spearhead Argentina's defence of the World Cup in June-July in North America.