From the brink of defeat to a moment that could redefine their World Cup journey, Qatar refused to let their dream die.
A dramatic stoppage-time equaliser on Saturday in Santa Clara secured a historic 1-1 draw against Switzerland, earning the Asian champions their first-ever point at the FIFA World Cup and convincing head coach Julen Lopetegui that his side had "earned the right to keep dreaming."
Four years after a disappointing debut on home soil ended without a single point, Qatar showed resilience and belief to rescue a result that leaves Group B finely balanced, with all four teams level after the opening round of matches.
Captain Boualem Khoukhi rose alongside Swiss defender Miro Muheim to meet Homam Ahmed's cross deep into stoppage time, with Khoukhi's header taking a decisive deflection off Muheim before finding the net and cancelling out Breel Embolo's first-half penalty.
The dramatic equaliser sparked wild celebrations among the Qatar players after they had spent much of the contest absorbing relentless Swiss pressure through disciplined and determined defending.
For Lopetegui, the point represented far more than a place on the standings. "We achieved one dream when we arrived here, to be here, and now today is another little dream," the Spaniard said. "We have to keep writing our story and continue dreaming. It will be difficult, but we have earned the right to keep dreaming."
Despite Switzerland dominating possession and finishing with 26 attempts on goal to Qatar's seven, Lopetegui praised his players for remaining faithful to the game plan after falling behind in the 17th minute.
"We made very few changes, but we had to keep our plan because if open up too early against a team like Switzerland, you will suffer a lot," he said. "They have quality players everywhere - fast, strong and excellent in one-on-one situations. They also have a master player like Granit Xhaka. There are not many players like him in the world."
Rather than chasing the game recklessly, Qatar stayed organised and compact, frustrating the Swiss before making their late breakthrough count. "Of course they created chances, and that is normal against us. But we believed, we worked, we resisted and we were resilient. In the end, we earned a great reward by scoring a goal and claiming this historic point," the former Spain and Real Madrid coach said.
Lopetegui said his players' mentality and commitment deserved recognition regardless of the outcome. "I was very proud about the mentality, about the discipline that they showed today," he said.
Attention now turns to Thursday's crucial clash against co-hosts Canada, with the Spaniard warning that recovery will be key after an energy-sapping contest.
Qatar face the additional challenge of having one day fewer to recover than Canada before travelling to Vancouver, while many of Lopetegui's squad are still adapting to the demands and intensity of World Cup football.
"First of all, my players normally play at night in Qatar. They never play in the morning. Normally they wake up later because that is the lifestyle there, so we had to change all those routines one month ago to be able to compete at 12 noon. The temperature was high, but it was the same for both teams. It can never be an excuse. You have to adapt and get used to the conditions as quickly as possible," Lopetegui said.
"Our players need sometimes more time than the rest of the players because they are not used to this kind of rhythm. We have to make one big effort to recover well and to be ready for the next big, big challenge," he added.
Even so, Lopetegui believes his side have earned the opportunity to fight for a place in the knockout rounds. "It's going to be tough, difficult," Lopetegui said. "But we win our right."
Goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, named man of the match after producing a string of outstanding saves, embodied Qatar's resilience.
The 26-year-old endured a difficult start after fouling Remo Freuler to concede the penalty converted by Embolo, but recovered brilliantly with a series of superb interventions to deny Switzerland a second goal and keep Qatar in the contest.
"The team performed admirably during the second half and the players showed a high fighting spirit," Abunada said. "We have confidence in our ability to deliver the best performances during the World Cup matches."
The goalkeeper believes Qatar's experience from their first World Cup appearance has strengthened the squad. "We are capable of delivering what satisfies expectations in this second participation in the World Cup, especially since many of the players have the experience and ability to play against big teams with high quality."
With a historic first World Cup point finally secured and renewed belief coursing through the squad, Qatar head into their meeting with Canada knowing qualification remains firmly within reach - and that their World Cup story is still being written.
