Tajikistan make more history, reach Asia Cup quarters
Asian Cup debutants Tajikistan celebrated making more history as they stunned the United Arab Emirates on penalties to join Australia in the quarter-finals on Sunday. After the game ended 1-1 in Doha following 120 tense minutes, Tajikistan won a dramatic shootout 5-3 with Alisher Shukurov holding his nerve with the final spot-kick. The Central Asians, ranked 106th in the world and at their first Asian Cup, will now face either Jordan or the 2007 champions Iraq in the last eight. Goalkeeper Rustam Yatimov made the decisive save from Caio Canedo with the UAE's second penalty of the shootout, and his outfield team-mates did the rest. Tajikistan's charismatic Croatian coach Petar Segrt called his team "the black horses of the tournament" and said "nobody knows how far we can go". Tajikistan had looked set for a famous victory in normal time when Vakhdat Khanonov scored with a 30th-minute header, only for Khalifa Al-Hammadi to equalise in the 95th minute and send the game into extra-time. The UAE reached the semi-finals at the last two Asian Cups but Paulo Bento's side bow out to a side ranked more than 40 places lower than them. Australia set up a tasty clash against South Korea or Saudi Arabia in the last eight with a 4-0 win over a spirited but limited Indonesia. The Socceroos are trying to win the title for a second time and were again solid rather than spectacular in getting the job done in a niggly encounter. Two goals in the first half, a deflected own goal on 12 minutes and a diving header by Martin Boyle on the stroke of the break, put Graham Arnold's side on their way. With Indonesia out of gas at the end, Craig Goodwin volleyed in a rebound on 89 minutes for 3-0 and defender Harry Souttar made it four in stoppage time. The scoreline flattered Australia but it was their third clean sheet in four matches and they have conceded only once. (AFP)