UAE's Ali Mabkhout: I want to play for a top club in Europe

Sport360 staff 19:22 30/01/2015
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  • Ali Mabkhout top-scored in Asian Cup qualifying with five and he bagged another five to be the leading marksman at November's Gulf Cup.

    UAE sharpshooter Ali Mabkhout on Friday said he would ask his club about a move to Europe after he finished the Asian Cup with a tournament-leading five goals.

    The prolific striker stroked home a nerveless penalty in the second half to seal a 3-2 win over Iraq and third place at the tournament for the attractive UAE side.

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    Mabkhout, who plays for Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi, said he now wanted to make the leap to Europe and revealed that a club from Germany’s Bundesliga had made tentative enquiries.

    “I want to play for a club in Europe,” the 24-year-old said after Friday’s win in Newcastle.

    “When I get back to my club I will speak to them about going to Europe because teams there are better than in my country,” he added.

    The striker said he had received an indirect approach from a German club who were now talking to his representatives, but he wouldn’t reveal which team.

    Mabkhout top-scored in Asian Cup qualifying with five and he bagged another five to be the leading marksman at November’s Gulf Cup.

    And his eye for goal didn’t waver in Australia as he netted another five — including the tournament’s fastest ever score, after just 14 seconds against Bahrain.

    His match-winning spot-kick against Iraq to secure the bronze medal for UAE gives him a strong chance of winning the Asian Cup’s golden boot.

    Australia’s Tim Cahill goes into Saturday’s final against South Korea, who are yet to concede a goal, two behind Mabkhout with three so far in the tournament.

    “I wanted to take home the top scorer award,” said Mabkhout. “It is very good for me to achieve this. But I will not stop there. I will continue to get better and score goals.”

    Mabkhout’s team-mate Ahmed Khalil scored twice on Friday to reach four goals, but the stand-in captain selflessly allowed his strike partner to take the decisive penalty.

    “He is my friend,” Mabkhout said of Khalil, 23. “If he had scored a hat-trick and taken top scorer I would have been happy for him.”

    He added: “I told him I wanted to take it (the penalty) and he said ‘no problem you can shoot’.”

    Mabkhout duly slotted the spot-kick past goalkeeper Mohammed Hameed to reach 10 goals in his last 10 games for UAE and put one hand on the Asian Cup top-scorer’s award.

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