For all the dialogue of a "blockade", it was maybe ironic that Qatar should progress past United Arab Emirates so serenely to reach the final of the Asian Cup for the very first time in its history.
While the occasion was ostensibly about football, the create up to the contest -- additionally dubbed the "blockade derby" -- was surrounded by exploration of the politics and diplomatic strife in the region.
The semifinal clash signified the first time the two had come face to face on the football ground since the UAE joined Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt in breaking off relations with Qatar in June 2017.
Those relations are unlikely to be improved going after Qatar's 4-0 victory in Abu Dhabi in a game where residence supporters threw sandals and bottles onto the ground of play to sign up their disgust.
While the UAE ended the game with ten men going after the sending off Ismail Ahmed, Qatar's players were left to celebrate ahead of Friday's final contrary four-time Asian Cup champ Japan.
This contest had earlier been ramped up as a grudge match due to the geopolitical disaster before either side had taken to the ground.
The boycott of Qatar, the worst diplomatic disaster to hit the Gulf Arab states in decades, followed allegations that the state was helping terrorism and destabilizing the region.
Qatar rejected the accusations, labeling them "unjustified" and "baseless.
Much of the criticism aimed at Qatar comes from its alleged support of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic group considered a terrorist organization by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Qatari citizens were given 14 days to leave Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, while all 3 countries blacklisted their own citizens from entering Qatar.
Yemen, Mauritius, Mauritania, the Maldives and Libya's eastern-based government additionally joined the boycott.
The air and land blockade imposed on Qatar additionally meant that the national team had to take a longer route to reach the UAE, flying via Kuwait as an alternative.
According to UAE law, sympathizing politically with Qatar is a crime punishable by a jail expression of 3 to 15 years in prison and a alright of no less than AED 500,000 (USD 136,000).
Keen to evade any potential embarrassment, the hosts had pulled out all the obstructs to ensure its team had full backing ahead of the clash.
In order to bolster the crowd and likewise home virtue, the UAE Sports Council purchased all unsold tickets, giving them away at no cost to UAE residents.
The UAE Ministry of Education encouraged students to attend and watch the game, cutting the school day by two hours, while the public sector was given time off to watch the contest and cheer the team on to victory.
But Qatar, the host nation of the 2022 World Cup, appeared undaunted.
Its run to the final of the competition, which included victory through the much-fancied South Korea in the quarterfinal, has been remarkable.
Ranked 93 in the world, Qatar has won all 6 of its games without conceding a objective and boasts the tournament's top scorer in Almoez Ali.
It was Ali who scored his side's second objective, adding to Boualem Khoukhi's opener as Qatar took control of the contest.
Hasan Al Haydos netted a third with ten minutes remaining before Qatar took virtue of Ahmed's sending off with Hamid Ismaeil scoring a fourth.
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