Red-hot UAE striker Ali Mabkhout has insisted he is “looking for the Gulf Cup over the Golden Boot” despite rocketing to the top of the scoring charts.
Mabkhout, 24, has been in sensational form in Riyadh. His brace on Thursday night earned a 2-0 triumph against 2013 final opponents Iraq, sealing runners-up spot in Group B and avoiding an embarrassing second exit as holders at the earliest stage within five years.
Those goals took him to four for the tournament, one ahead of Salim Said who struck a hat-trick in the astonishing 5-0 victory for Oman against Kuwait.
Mabkhout’s strikes have all been of the highest quality, his opener against the Lions of Mesopotamia a 30-yard rocket.
That it came at a time when the UAE were scratching about to avoid the very-real prospect of a flight home added to its significance.
“I hope to take [the Golden Boot] but it is more important for the team to remain Gulf Cup champions,” the Al Jazira forward said.
“I am feeling very happy because I’ve scored four goals now, and I am so excited to score many more goals in the next games.
“Thanks God, Alhamdulillah, that the team has helped me so much.
"I’m looking for the Gulf Cup over the Golden Boot.”
The Whites will need to be at their best upon their return to the King Fahd International Stadium, hosts Saudi Arabia providing the opposition.
An all-round performance has yet to be registered by Mahdi Ali’s men.
The second half against Iraq and opening 30 minutes during the 2-2 draw with Kuwait have been the only convincing moments.
The Saudi public are sure to pile into the iconic King Fahd, providing partisan support for a team that dropped points in the 1-1 draw with Qatar but beat Bahrain and Yemen.
When asked whether the task of making a second-successive final has been stiffened by drawing the hosts, Mabkhout declared it provided no extra problems.
He said: “It is good for me [to score two goals against Iraq], I helped the team for the next game. Inshallah, we win that game.
“It will be a difficult game [against Saudi Arabia], and I hope it is a fantastic one.
“For us, it is no problem [facing the host nation] – we hope to win the game.”
Fellow forward Ahmed Khalil was top scorer in Bahrain last year, but has struggled to hit the same heights in the Saudi capital.
A succession of free-kicks have failed to beat the wall, continuing the stuttering domestic displays which see him on one goal from eight Arabian Gulf League appearances with champions Al Ahli.
“We played a good game, the team played a very hard game,” he said. “Inshallah, we have the next game and we play just as hard.
“Sometimes, if you do not score then someone else will score. We play for all the players.
“Inshallah, we play like this as we have to win.
“We have to enjoy ourselves after the game.
"We have to continue, Inshallah we play good in the next game.
“Ali [Mabkhout] is playing a very hard game. Inshallah, he plays at the same level in the next game.”
