Akram Afif struck late in the match to help Qatar shock Switzerland 1-0 in an international friendly at the Stadio di Cornaredo in Luzano, Switzerland, yesterday.
The Al Sadd star made good of a pass from Karim Boudiaf from the centreline before rounding off Swiss goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo and slotting home from close in the 86th minute.
Switzerland, ranked eighth in the FIFA rankings, failed to assert themselves in the match and paid the penalty.
It was a rare victory for Qatar against a side in the top 10 of the FIFA rankings. Qatar, currently 96th on the list, had beaten China and Ecuador recently but lost to Uzbekistan in friendlies as they prepare for the Asian Cup in January.
Qatar yesterday tested the Swiss defence numerous times especially in the first half, with Afif and Almoez Ali going close.
And although the Swiss tightened up in the second half and created a few chances, the Qatar defence held firm to thwart their moves.
As the match neared the end, the entire Swiss team advanced up front, leaving their defence exposed.
That resulted in Afif enjoying an uninterrupted run after he received the pass from Boudiaf, and he literally tore across the vacant space to score the only goal of the match.
Akram Afif leaves Swiss goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo in a mess before scoring for Qatar in Luzano yesterday.
