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We Are the Champions: Gulf Cup triumph over Oman will be cherished for a long time

January 30, 2007 would be etched in memory when our footballers created magic, as the opposition fell apart when our players repeatedly breached their defences. Matar was the hero of the night.

Ismail Matar was unstoppable that night on the soccer pitch. The UAE erupted in joy following this Gulf Cup victory.
Matar was dodging defenders and firing on all cylinders. Amith Passela, our reporter, couldn't contain his glee when Matar managed to find a "looping pass from Abdulraheem Jumaa, dashed inside the penalty area before firing a low shot to the far corner of the net in 73rd minute". The crowd at the packed Zayed Stadium was on its feet. The applause was deafening. The UAE had beaten Oman in a dream final. This was the result they had come here for. The triumph deserved a banner headline, in caps, and bold. Nothing short of a full page would do on the occasion.
January 30, 2007 would be etched in memory when our footballers created magic, as the opposition fell apart when our players repeatedly breached their defences. Matar was the hero of the night. He was the new star on the firmament. Under coach Bruno Metsu, the team flowered and banded well; they could beat any side on their day.
The UAE started well and had the better first half. They were more creative, and enjoyed both possession and acres of territory, but couldn't convert them into goals.
Jumaa wasted a chance with a weak pass to Mohammed Omar near the goal-mouth in the 16th minute.
As the UAE attacked, Habsi denied Matar's first go at the Oman goal, when he had the UAE forward's close range header well covered in the 31st minute. Oman never got going and failed to put the UAE under much pressure for the entire first half, but made steady headway on resumption after an early scare from Basheer Saeed, whose header off a free kick from Subait fell short three minutes into the second half.
Oman was losing the final for a second time in a row after being beaten in a penalty shootout by host Qatar in 2004 under the same coach Milan Macala.