“UAE and Iran have a long history of playing against one another, so we know each other's strengths and weaknesses quite well,” said the striker. 

“While it helped us prepare well for the game, it was also a point of worry as they know our game equally well.”

The three-time champions will now face inaugural winners Bahrain in the last eight and the 28-year-old is determined to keep the trophy in Iran. 

“From the first day, we have had one eye on the trophy. Despite being crowned champions thrice, we are yet to defend our title and now, that is our sole focus,” he said.

Despite finishing second in Group C, UAE still believe a third title is within reach with head coach Naderi Hossein Abadi Ali already plotting their way past Oman in Thursday’s quarter-final showdown.

“Both the teams are very strong and they played a game befitting the stage of the Asian Cup. Their (Iran) skills demonstrated a remarkable level of technical expertise and should serve as a benchmark for development of the sport in Asia,” said Hossein. 

“While we would have liked to end the group stage with a win, we have already put the defeat behind us and will focus on our upcoming quarter-final clash,” he added. “We treat every match as the final and will train to stay on course to finish the competition as champions.”