UAE more than just Amoory, says Socceroos coach
Playmaker Omar Abdulrahman has earned plaudits with some sensational performances during the tournament
Australia coach Ange Postecoglou says today's Asian Cup semi-final in Newcastle between the free-scoring Socceroos and the tournament's surprise package United Arab Emirates is not about the new "Messi or Ronaldo".
The bushy-haired Omar Abdulrahman has excelled in the Gulf side's sensational run to the last four drawing excitable comparisons with some of the game's biggest stars.
But Postecoglou sniffed: "The Chinese had the Chinese Ronaldo, Maradona. Everyone has a Messi or Maradona.
Every team in Asia has technically gifted players. The ones who use them better are the ones who have a really cohesive team and ... UAE have one of those squads
"[Abdulrahman] is a good player, so is [Ali] Mabkhout up front," the Socceroos coach added, refusing to single out the UAE danger man, whose jaw-dropping "panenka" penalty against the Samurai Blue in the quarter-finals underlined his prodigious talent.
Abdulrahman - whose idol is France great Zinedine Zidane - has been one of the standout performers of the tournament, with the 23-year-old's creativity helping forward Mabkhout to four goals.
The sharp shooter from Al Jazira club, Mabkhout is in a rich vein of form, with nine goals in his last eight outings for his country, and is in with a chance of winning the Asian Cup's golden boot.
UAE coach Mahdi Ali has worked with the bulk of his squad for over 10 years - a fact Postecoglou says makes the Emiratis, appearing in their first semi-final since 1996, formidable opponents.