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FRANCOIS NEL / GETTY IMAGES
Australia's Awer Mabil reacts following the team's loss to the UAE in the quarter-finals. He must now face the sudden death of his sister.
The death of the sister of Awer Mabil threw a tragic veil over the Socceroos Asian Cup campaign.
Mabil's 19-year-old sister, Bor, died in a car accident in Adelaide just hours before Friday's 1-0 defeat of the United Arab Emirates in Al Ain.
The end of Mabil's first tournament with the national team is devastating, especially since it has provided the bulk of Australia's highlights in a largely disappointing campaign.
Aaron Mooy, Daniel Arzani and Martin Boyle, injured before the tournament, propelled emerging talent Mabil to the rank of essential player in Graham Arnold's organization.
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It was a two-handed match as he – and his colleague Chris Ikonomidis – kicked off the Australian campaign after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Jordan with leading roles in the victories against Palestine and Syria.
Mabil scored in both games – with his stunning strike against Syria and the global headlines generated by the campaign for mental health behind his celebration of his goal, which could be the culmination of defending the title of the Socceroos Asian Cup.
From there, however, old frustrations arose when the Socceroos missed their goal.
FRANCOIS NEL / GETTY IMAGES
Awer Mabil, of Australia, celebrates after scoring his team's second goal against Palestine in the AFC Asian Cup.
Uzbekistan was beaten in penalty kicks after 120 minutes of play and a blank zero – third for Australia in five matches – resulted in a 1-0 defeat against UAE hosts and their opponents. elimination.
The men of Arnold, however, had positive points to withdraw from the United Arab Emirates.
Mabil and Ikonomidis are real rising stars, while Apostolos Giannou has gone from a forgotten injury replacement to Boyle's place at the starting player's post at the end of the campaign.
FRANCOIS NEL / GETTY IMAGES
Awer Mabil was one of the highlights of the Socceroos Asian Cup campaign.
The most urgent task of the Australian football family however is to take care of one of its brightest and best through a terrible personal tragedy.
Football Federation Australia has expressed its deepest condolences to Awer, the Mabil family and Bor's friends.
"FFA supports Awer, his teammates and Socceroos staff in the UAE."
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