Egypt eased into the semifinal stage of the Arab Nations Cup. They held off UAE in the first quarterfinal clash yesterday. Egypt will now take on Morocco for the spot in the championship game.
UAE put up a decent fight in the starting frame. They trailed by only one point 16:17 after ten minutes. But Egypt gradually took over. They knocked down 20 points in the second quarter and posted a 37:30 lead at the interval. The third term turned disastrous for UAE. They accounted for only 7 points and allowed Egypt to clear off. UAE faced a 22-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter. Egypt maintained the tempo in the final period. They easily kept their opponents at distance and rolled to the victory at the end. Moumen Abou Elaynayn (199-F-86) knocked down came up with 14 points to pace the winners. Ayoub AlBalooshi (190-F-81) replied with 14 points for UAE.