INTERNATIONAL: As the Arab Cup has kicked off in Qatar, on Tuesday with a special opening ceremony, the soccer matches have officially begun for the Arab world. At Stadium 974 in Doha, the United Arab Emirates saw off Syria 2-1 in their opening Arab Cup Group B encounter

Currently, United Arab Emirates rank 4th, while Syria holds the 2nd position at the Group B of the Arab Cup

During the first half, Caio Canedo put UAE ahead in the 24th-minute with a header before Ali Saleh doubled their lead six minutes later with a neat low finish.

Ward Alslamh pulled one back for Syria, but the UAE, who had Mahmoud Khamis sent off late in stoppage time, held on for victory.

The tournament takes place 12 months ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the first to be held in the Middle East, and consists of 16 teams divided into four groups with the top two in each going through to the knockout stages.