Guilherme Bala Stars on UAE Debut as Team Secures Gulf Cup Semi-Final Spot

Guilherme Bala made an immediate impact on his UAE debut and exorcised a ghost in the process. The Shabab Al Ahli forward scored three minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute in the Arabian Gulf Cup group match against Bahrain.

It set the national team up for a 3-0 win that clinched their place in the semi-finals with their last group match, against Qatar on Wednesday, still to play. Bala’s elevation to national team duty has been keenly anticipated for some time now. The 25-year-old winger has been a sensation in UAE domestic football since arriving from lower-division football in Brazil in 2021.

His strike at Jeddah's Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium carried much personal significance. It was in the same net in which he had suffered the most high-profile disappointment of his career to date. Back in April, Bala appeared to have earned Shabab Al Ahli a shot at reaching Asia’s biggest club fixture, before a controversial VAR decision chalked off his goal against Machida Zelvia.

Returning to the same stadium five months later proved to be a much happier occasion. After entering in the second half, he ran the opposition defence ragged. Earlier in the match, the UAE had taken time to break down Bahrain, with Nicolas Gimenez and Ousmane Camara testing the goalkeeper, though Yuri Cesar suffered an unfortunate leg injury before half-time.

Despite that setback, the UAE pressed on after the break. Following Bala's impactful goal, Ali Saleh added a third to secure the 3-0 victory. The UAE now top Group B on six points, level with Qatar, ahead of Wednesday's match to determine the group winners.