DOHA – A fantastic goal worthy of winning any title, scored by substitute Hassan Al-Haydos against China, gave host nation Qatar their third victory in the 2023 Asian Cup Group A match and ensured their spot in the round of 16.
The 1-0 win over China gave the Qatar squad under Tintin Marques, nine points to top Group A after their group matches ended at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, a city located about 9km from Doha.
China, second place in the group before the kick-off missed several chances in the first half including a golden opportunity in the 36th minute but Wei Shihao’s powerful shot was saved by goalkeeper Saad Al-Sheeb.
After the goalless first half, the introduction of super subs Akram Afif and Al-Haydos in the 64th minute quickly made an impact for Qatar as two minutes later Al-Haydos scored the goal of the tournament thus far, crushing a volley into the net from a corner.
The loss also saw China failing to make the cut for the round of 16.
In another Group A match, Tajikistan created their own football history by beating Lebanon 2-1 to move into the round of 16 for the first time in the history of the competition, after finishing second in the group behind Qatar.
In the match played at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Lebanon had taken the lead in the 47th minute through Bassel Jradi but the sacking of defender Kassem Al Zein in the 56th minute, for a crunching tackle, enabled Tajikistan to stage a memorable fightback.
Tajikistan gained control of the match and in the 80th minute equalised through Parvizdzhon Umarbayev in the 80th minute before substitute, Nuriddin Khamrokulov struck the winner in the 90th minute from a glancing header.
The win gave Tajikistan four points and second spot in Group A while Lebanon finished last in the group with one point. – January 23, 2024