Bahrain’s Fawzi Aaish (12) celebrates with teammate Hussain Baba after scoring against Qatar during their 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualifying match in Manama yesterday.
Agencies/Manama
Bahrain moved three points clear at the top of Group D in the AFC Asian Cup 2015 Qualifiers after a first-half strike by Faouzi Aaish gave them a 1-0 win over Gulf rivals Qatar at the National Stadium in Manama yesterday.
Aaish netted the only goal of the game after 20 minutes to settle a fairly dull contest that saw both teams create few real opportunities.
It was the second win in a row for the Bahrainis following their opening 2-0 victory over Yemen last month and it helped them to open up a three-point cushion over Qatar and Malaysia, who beat Yemen 2-1 in Kuala Lumpur earlier yesterday.
After a fairly lacklustre opening, the home side took the lead in the 20th minute. A high ball was lofted towards the left of the Qatar box and its flight appeared to catch out defender Mosaab al-Hassan who was caught on the wrong side of Aaish.
The forward chested the ball down and cut back towards the middle before getting away a low shirt that squirmed under the body of Qatar goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb.
The hosts could have made it 2-0 on the half-hour mark when they launched a quick-counter attack that saw Saad al-Amer play the ball wide to Abdulwahab al-Malood whose rising shot was tipped over by al-Sheeb
Qatar’s attacks were largely restricted to shots from distance and the closest they came to an equaliser was in the 37th minute when Khalfan Ibrahim created an opening for himself on the edge of the box only to send his powerful right-footed shot straight into the hands of goalkeeper Sayed Mohamed Jaafar.
Meanwhile, China’s Yu Dabao grabbed a vital injury-time winner and Malaysia and Hong Kong also had late goals to thank as they took big steps forward in qualifying for the 2015 Asian Cup.
Substitute striker Yu popped up in the third added minute in rain-soaked Changsha to hand China an unconvincing 1-0 win over Iraq and throw a lifeline to embattled coach Jose Antonio Camacho.
In the Chinese territory of Hong Kong, Chan Wai-ho pounced in the 87th minute to earn the hosts a 1-0 victory over Vietnam which put them temporarily on top of Group E.
But they slipped to second later when the United Arab Emirates fought back from a goal down to win 2-1 in Abu Dhabi courtesy of second half goals from Ahmed Khalil and Ali Mabkhout.
China’s tie against 2007 champions Iraq was played in heavy rain in Changsha but the hosts were given a golden opportunity to secure their first points of qualifying when their opponents were reduced to 10 men just before half-time.
Iraq defender Ali Adnan was given his marching orders with a second yellow for encroachment as Sun Xiang took a free-kick.
China had been unlucky not to go ahead in the 17th minute when Sun Ke’s looping cross was met with a powerful header by Yang Xu, which Iraq goalkeeper Noor Sabri deflected wide.
But they failed to take advantage of their numerical superiority until deep into stoppage time, with Camacho, his job under threat after a run of six games without a win, looking increasingly agitated pitchside.
Meanwhile, minnows Hong Kong extended their dream start to qualifying with the win over Vietnam, which follows last month’s impressive away draw to Uzbekistan.
In Shah Alam, Malaysia, former co-hosts of the Asian showpiece, looked headed for their second defeat in two games when they went behind in the 12th minute.
But the Malaysians were back on level terms before the half-hour through Azamuddin Akil, before Khyril Muhymeen’s clincher with the 2-1 win lifting them off the foot of Group D, a position now occupied by Yemen.
In Beirut, Lebanon ran out comfortable 5-2 winners over Thailand, helped by Hassan Chaito’s first half double to leave the hosts tied in third, with Group B leaders Iran and Kuwait playing next Tuesday.
The top two in five groups of four, plus the best third-placed team, will qualify for the 2015 tournament in Australia, along with automatically qualified defending champions Japan, Australia (2011 runners-up, hosts) and South Korea (third), Challenge Cup champions North Korea and winners of 2014 Challenge Cup.
