Hosts, Tunisia, UAE Register Wins In Arab Cup Opening Day
The opening matchday of the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 had promised fireworks on and off the park, and it delivered handsomely.
After goals galore in the first match between Tunisia & Mauritania were followed by heart-stopping drama in the second, a dazzling ceremony preceded Qatari hearts being sent soaring by Abdulaziz Hatem’s match-winning header.
The United Arab Emirates then became the third team to take maximum points from their opening match, with an assured 2-1 win over Syria, ensuring that Bert van Marwijk’s men followed in the footsteps of the hosts and Tunisia.
After spending four years and eight months awaiting a recall to the Tunisia fold, Seifeddine Jaziri has been making an impression lately and enjoyed a hard-earned moment against Mauritania, smashing home the FIFA Arab Cup’s first-ever goal earned the Zamalek star a place in the record books, but better was to follow as he added a superb backheeled second before leaving the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium with a well-deserved Man of the Match award.
Njidda Usa/FIFA
