Qatar booked a spot in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan next year following a 1-1 draw with Syria in their final Group A qualifying tie at the Khalifa International Stadium on Sunday.
The result took Qatar to seven points for top spot while Syria finished second on five but face a nervous wait to know whether they will advance as one of the best second-placed teams. Yemen, meanwhile, ended their campaign with a 3-0 win over Sri Lanka in Group A’s other match yesterday.
Syria came into the tie needing three points to pip Qatar to the top spot and they started promisingly. They pressed high in the opening minutes as Qatar were forced to defend deep and Syria’s early aggression paid off when they took the lead in the 18th minute. Qatar failed to cleanly clear a corner and the ball landed invitingly for Ali Bashmani, whose shot took a deflection before settling in the back of the net.
Stung into action, Qatar pressed forward and came close on several occasions but had to wait till the 45th minute for the equaliser. A clumsy challenge by Diaa Alhak al-Mohamed saw Ahmed al-Ganehi brought down in the penalty area with Mohamed Waad sending the ball past a diving Mohamed Anas Al Bittar.
Syria held the major share of possession in the second half but the goal they needed eluded them as Qatar held on for a draw which assured them top spot in the group.
Qatar’s U-23 squad had held an extensive 10-day training camp at Aspire Academy before the qualifiers.
Qatar, coached by Chilean Nicolas Cordova, also played two friendly matches against Kuwait.
Yemen came into the tie having drawn 1-1 against Syria, while the South Asians were seeking their first point in their qualifying campaign. Sri Lanka held their own before conceding at the half hour mark following Omar al-Dahi’s free-kick as Yemen took a 1-0 lead going into the break.
Amin al-Sunaini’s charges kicked into high gear in the second half, doubling their advantage through Emad al-Godaimah’s long-range effort at the hour mark before Nasser al-Gahwashi sealed victory for Yemen eight minutes later.
Meanwhile, Iraq confirmed their place in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup after beating Bahrain 3-0. First half goals from Hasan Abdulkareem Sayyid and Muntadher Mohamed, coupled with Sohaib Raad Al Gertani’s last-gasp effort steered the Iraqis to a fifth appearance in the Finals.
Both teams entered the final Group C tie having won their opening match against Maldives, but the pressure was on Bahrain who needed to win to pip Iraq to the top spot.
In Dushanbe, Iran qualified as group winners, while Tajikistan face a nervous wait to learn their fate after Group B matches concluded yesterday.
Team Melli Omid ran out 3-2 winners in the final, group-deciding clash against Tajikistan to book their place, leaving the group hosts as potential qualifiers as one of the best placed runners-up, while Lebanon defeated Nepal 4-0 in the earlier match.
A total of 42 teams participated in the qualifiers to obtain 15 spots in the finals to join Uzbekistan, which will host the tournament’s fifth edition. The teams were divided into two geographical regions – the first consisting of 23 teams from the West, South and Central, while the second consisted of 19 teams from the East and ASEAN regions.
The teams were ranked according to their results in the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship in Thailand.