Qatar commenced their 27th Arabian Gulf Cup journey with a decisive 2-0 win against defending champions Bahrain at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday. This victory sets the stage for Qatar as a strong contender in the tournament, placing them second in Group B.
The first goal came in the 61st minute when Boualem Khoukhi found the back of the net with a well-placed header from an Akram Afif free-kick. However, Qatar faced a setback in the 70th minute when Ahmed Fathi was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, leaving the team to fend off Bahrain’s offensive push with only 10 men.
Despite Bahrain’s efforts to capitalize on their numerical advantage, they failed to score an equalizer. Qatar solidified their win deep into stoppage time. Hassan Al Haydos converted a penalty in the ninth minute of added time after being fouled in the box, securing a comfortable victory for the team.
With this result, Qatar is positioned just behind the United Arab Emirates in Group B, who earlier in the day triumphed over Yemen with a 4-0 scoreline. Looking ahead, Qatar is set to face Yemen in their next group stage match, while Bahrain will go up against the UAE.