tag

The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 is set to take place from November 3-27. With less than two months until the tournament kickoff, fans in Qatar look forward to welcoming their national teams and partaking in what promises to be a spectacular celebration of football and culture. This is the first of five consecutive editions that Qatar will be hosting and will be the first FIFA World Cup to feature 48 teams. A total of 104 matches will take place over 25 days at the state-of-the-art Competition Complex at Aspire Zone. Argentina fans will hope to see their team win this competition for the first time, following the success they enjoyed during Qatar 2022. For Maria Hermina, a human resource professional and Argentinian super fan based in Qatar, the tournament has brought a wave of excitement within the football-loving expat community. “Football is in our blood. It unites us all regardless of our diverse backgrounds or beliefs – this is the beauty of the game. We look forward to celebrating this beautiful game with fans from around the world. In 2022, we watched the senior Argentinian team crowned as world champions, now we are rooting for our young Albiceleste to bring home the U-17 World Cup trophy.” Portuguese fan leader, Elisabete Reis, an etiquette and protocol consultant in Qatar and a long-time resident of 19 years, looks forward to recreating memories of the historic FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, with the team set to make their fourth appearance at the upcoming tournament. The young Portuguese squad will be looking to improve on their best finish when they finished in third place in 1989. “The world was amazed by what Qatar had to offer. I was happy that fans were able to appreciate the true beauty and culture of Qatar and go back with a positive perspective. The U-17 World Cup, will bring the world together once again in Qatar, allowing fans to embrace new cultures and revel in the thrill of this game. I look forward to welcoming global fans to my second home, and creating incredible memories together.” Amongst participating teams, Uganda is set to make their first ever appearance at a FIFA competition. For fan leader, Allan Ssemugabi, who works in the automobile industry, the team’s qualification to the tournament was a historic moment for football fans. “This is a momentous occasion in our football history. Fans are super excited, and many will be travelling to Qatar to support our young players. It’s a dream for us to be able to watch our team play at a global stage. I am excited to unite with fans from around the world to celebrate our common passion for football. I am certain that fans will enjoy all that Qatar has to offer, especially its compact nature, making it easy to travel between various cultural sites using public transport.” Indonesia will be making their second appearance at the competition after hosting the competition in 2023. Fan leader Vidi Viciyandrie, who works in the oil and gas industry, is an avid supporter of Indonesian football. “Football is the number one sport back home; we are crazy about the game. Indonesian fans take immense pride in supporting our national teams, no matter what the result is. Our young Garudas have our full support. This will be a wonderful tournament for all of us. The world has seen how Qatar can successfully organise football tournaments, and the U-17 World Cup will be another spectacular event for football fans.” The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 will host eight matches a day during the group stage. Fans will also be able to enjoy several cultural activations in a vibrant fan zone. The venue is connected seamlessly by public transport and will offer a barrier-free experience to disabled fans.

Spinner Nasum Ahmed produced a miserly spell to help Bangladesh beat Afghanistan by eight runs Tuesday and keep their Asia Cup hopes alive.Bangladesh posted 154-5 batting first as opener Tanzid Hasan starred with his 52 off 31 balls in Abu Dhabi.Nasum and fellow spinner Rishad Hossain then took two wickets each before pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman returned figures of 3-28 to help bowl out Afghanistan for 146.Taskin Ahmed also claimed two wickets as he wrapped up the innings with the final ball of the match.Bangladesh ended Group B with two wins and one defeat in their three outings.Their chances of reaching the Super Four stage will depend on the final match of the group between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka on Thursday.Bangladesh will go through if Sri Lanka win, but an Afghan victory would see them progress and leave the Sri Lankans and Bangladesh to be split on net run-rate.Left-arm spinner Nasum rocked the Afghanistan chase early when he struck with the first ball of the innings to trap Sediqullah Atal lbw and then grabbed the key wicket of Ibrahim Zadran, for five, in the fifth over.He returned figures of 2-11 from his four overs.Rishad dismissed Gulbadin Naib caught and bowled for 16 with his leg-spin and then sent back the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz for 35 to dent Afghanistan.Azmatullah Omarzai attempted to revive the chase with three sixes in his 16-ball 30 but holed out off Taskin.Skipper Rashid Khan made one final push with a quickfire 20 but fell to Mustafizur, who struck again to be on a hat-trick which was avoided by Fazalhaq Farooqi.Earlier Tanzid put on an opening stand of 63 with Saif Hasan, who made 30, as the two racked up 59 in the powerplay.Rashid broke the stand as he struck in his first over by bowling Saif and Afghanistan's spinners soon took control.Left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad trapped skipper Litton Das lbw for nine to further peg back Bangladesh.Tanzid raised his fifty off 28 deliveries but fell to Noor in the next over.Towhid Hridoy added a 20-ball 26 but although Bangladesh managed just 67 runs in the final 10 overs, it proved enough for the win.

Tickets for the AGCFF U-17 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025 are now on sale. Fans can purchase tickets online from tickets.qfa.qa, starting from QAR 10. All tickets will be digital.The tournament will take place in Qatar from 20 September to 3 October, bringing together young football talents from the region to compete for the coveted trophy. This is the first time that the competition is being held under the auspices of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF).“The U-17 Gulf Cup embodies our commitment towards nurturing young, emerging football talents in the region. We are excited to build on the legacy created by the Arabian Gulf Cup – the region’s oldest national team competition – and encourage fans to show their support for these future stars in the making,” said Jassim Sultan Al Rumaihi, AGCFF Secretary General.A total of 15 matches will be played across two venues – Grand Hamad Stadium and Suheim bin Hamad Stadium. Both venues are accessible, ensuring a barrier-free experience for disabled fans.The Grand Hamad Stadium, with a capacity of 13,000, is currently the home ground for Qatar’s Al-Arabi club. The stadium was selected as the team base camp for the Brazil national football team during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Meanwhile, the Suheim bin Hamad Stadium is home of the Qatar Sports Club football team. The 12,000-seater stadium hosted football matches during the 2006 Asian Games as well as various other high-profile matches during the AFC Asian Cup 2011™.Participating teams include the eight member associations of the federation and have been divided into two groups. Hosts Qatar will lead Group A, and will be joined by the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. Iraq will lead Group B, and will play alongside Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The tournament will get underway on 20 September at Grand Hamad Stadium, 6pm, when Iraq face Kuwait. Hosts Qatar will play their first match, one day later, on 21 September at Grand Hamad Stadium, 6pm, against Yemen.The AGCFF U-17 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025 will kick off an exciting football season in the country, with a line-up of tournaments scheduled for the last quarter of 2025. Hosts Qatar, along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™, that will take place from 3-27 November at the state-of-the-art Competition Complex at Aspire Zone. This will be followed by the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025™ from 1-18 December.For issues or complaints regarding tickets, fans can email: [email protected] purchase accessibility tickets, fans can email: [email protected] all information related to the AGCFF U-17 Gulf Cup Qatar 2025, follow @AGCFF on all major social media platforms.

Reigning 20-overs world champions India look overwhelming favourites to retain their Asia Cup title with Suryakumar Yadav leading a crack squad that can sweep aside rivals and any geopolitical distraction in the tournament beginning Tuesday.The September 9-28 tournament had looked in limbo after four days of military conflict between tournament hosts India and bitter neighbours Pakistan in May this year.The eight-team competition was subsequently moved to the United Arab Emirates but the geopolitical undercurrents were palpable with several former India cricketers demanding a boycott of matches against Pakistan.With New Delhi backing the Indian cricket board’s stance of playing Pakistan in multi-team events only, the Asian Cricket Council, which organises the Asia Cup, is confident its flagship tournament would prove a success.With an eye on the T20 World Cup next year, India gave an indication of how seriously they view the tournament when they picked pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.The 31-year-old is played sparingly to manage his all-format workload and India will hope to benefit from the wily seamer’s craft both in the powerplay and the death overs.Test captain Shubman Gill has been recalled to reinforce a batting lineup teeming with serious power-hitters like Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, currently the top-two T20 batters in official rankings, as well as skipper Suryakumar.Arch-rivals Pakistan will enter the tournament low on experience but high on confidence after winning a tri-series, also involving Afghanistan and hosts UAE, on Sunday.“We wanted to prepare in a way that helps us for the Asia Cup and we’ve done that,” Pakistan captain Salman Agha said on Sunday.“We’ve been doing really well since the Bangladesh home series. Finally, we’re in very good shape and fully prepared for the Asia Cup.”Having ignored former captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan will need sustained contribution from their batters against tougher opposition.Afghanistan lost to Pakistan in Sunday’s final in Sharjah but skipper Rashid Khan counts their familiarity with conditions as a major gain.“It’s important for us to learn from these conditions ahead of the Asia Cup,” Rashid, who will lead Afghanistan’s spin-heavy attack, said.“Over the last eight-nine months, we haven’t played much T20 cricket together and a series like this gives us positive energy. I think it’s going to be a great and exciting Asia Cup for us.”Under Litton Das, a new-look Bangladesh will be itching to prove their mettle having lost the likes of stalwarts Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal to retirement.Afghanistan play Hong Kong in the tournament opener in Abu Dhabi Tuesday.Preliminary stage matches: Sep 09, Tue: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong, Abu DhabiSep 10, Wed: India vs UAE, DubaiSep 11, Thu: Bangladesh vs Hong Kong, Abu DhabiSep 12, Fri: Pakistan vs Oman, DubaiSep 13, Sat: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Abu DhabiSep 14, Sun: India vs Pakistan, DubaiSep 15, Mon: UAE vs Oman, Abu DhabiSep 15, Mon: Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong, DubaiSep 16, Tue: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Abu DhabiSep 17, Wed: Pakistan vs UAE, DubaiSep 18, Thu: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Abu DhabiSep 19, Fri: India vs Oman, Abu Dhabi

RB Mary Lylah, fresh from her breakthrough at the top level in the Gr.1 (PA) Liwa International Stakes at La Teste, confirmed her excellent form by winning the Gr.3 (PA) UAE President Cup at Istanbul Veliefendi in Turkey on Sunday. The race, run over 2000m, was the 12th leg of the Arabian Purebred Classic Series.Trained by Alban de Mieulle, ridden by Daniel Tudhope, and carrying the colours of Wathnan Racing, the 5-year-old mare showed once more her consistency and toughness, securing the 12th win of her career.In a race led by Kocek, RB Mary Lylah travelled in fifth, racing two wide. Positions remained unchanged until the final bend, where she began to improve. Turning for home, she was carried out wide by Tuncer, who drifted left, but she was still travelling easily, her jockey yet to ask for any effort. Once given the signal, she quickly surged to the front inside the final 300m and went clear under a hands-and-heels ride, scoring by a dazzling seven lengths margin. Kati Zamani finished second, while Kralkarinka took third.Bred by Diane Waldron (USA), RB Mary Lylah comes from a rich family. She is out of Rich Kinkga, a triple winner in the United States including the Gr.3 (PA) Arabian Stallion Stakes and twice runner-up in the Gr.2 CRE Run Oaks Arabian Distaff Stakes. She is a half-sister to RB Kindle, an eight-time winner in the USA including the Gr.3 (PA) Delaware Park Arabian Juvenile Filly Championship and runner-up in the Gr.1 (PA) Buzz Brauninger Arabian Distaff Handicap, and to RB Kinetic, a dual Gr.3 (PA) winner in the USA. She is also a half-sister to RB Kinkie, a triple winner in the USA including the Gr.3 Arabian Stallion Stakes.

The second annual Qatar Classic Chess Cup is underway, bringing together 30 of Qatar's top male and female chess players. The tournament, which runs until September 13th at the Qatar Training Center, will be a seven-round Swiss system event.The opening match featured a face-off between Al-Ustad Hussain Aziz and his opponent, Ali Al-Nuaimi, presided over by Muhammad al-Mudahka, president of Qatar Chess Association (QCA). Leading the men's division is the top-ranked player, Al-Kabeer Al-Kawari, alongside fellow national team members like Irfan Muhammad and Hamad al-Kuwari. The women's tournament features eight players, including Salama al-Khalifi and Ayesha al-Khalifi.Al-Mudahka told Qatar News Agency that he was thrilled about the tournament, which is using the new International Chess Federation law for the first time. He said the event is a key part of the federation's annual calendar and a way to identify the best players to represent Qatar in future international competitions. Hamad Al-Tamimi, the Executive Director of the federation, echoed this, noting that the tournament offers national team players a crucial chance to prepare for upcoming events and to hone their skills in a competitive setting.

Qatar notched their second win after edging India 2-1 in Group H of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers Saturday. India made a promising start and looked dangerous every time they went forward but it was Qatar who took the lead in the 18th minute.Al Hashmi al-Hussain rose highest to nod home his header which looped over India keeper Sahil Poonia and into the back of the net. The second half saw India push more bodies forward and they levelled the score in the 52nd minute after Muhammad Suhail converted Mohammed Sanan’s cross with a headed finish.However, India suffered a blow in the 65th minute when Pramveer Singh was sent off for picking up his second yellow card after bringing down Noureldin Ibrahim inside the box.Jassem al-Sharshani made no mistake from the spot to seal Qatar the victory. Qatar face Bahrain in their final fixture on Tuesday with India taking on Brunei.In another Group H match, Bahrain bounced back from their opening day loss against India to hand Brunei a 10-0 thrashing to reignite the nation’s hopes.

England needed an own goal to open the scoring in a 2-0 win over Andorra in a World Cup qualifier Saturday before Declan Rice made the result more respectable as they failed to sparkle against the tiny principality ranked 170 places below them.A fourth win in four for Thomas Tuchel's team in their campaign for next year's finals put them in command of Group K on 12 points ahead of Tuesday's game in Serbia. But their often slow build-up play did not excite the near-40,000 Villa Park crowd and will fuel grumbles that they have become a duller team under German Thomas Tuchel despite his perfect record in the qualifiers.England's opener came in the 25th minute when a fine cross from Noni Madueke skimmed off Andorra defender Christian Garcia's head into the net with Harry Kane lurking behind him. Rice added the second in the 67th minute when he met another superb cross, from Reece James this time, to steer a downward header past goalkeeper Iker Alvarez to wrap up the victory against 174th-ranked Andorra.Andorra, who draw their squad from a population of 80,000, stuck doggedly to their gameplan of packing the defence, often keeping nine men behind the ball and leaving Ricard Fernandez totally isolated up front. That gave England a remarkable 83% possession, but the hosts fashioned few clear-cut chances beyond Eberechi Eze forcing a save, captain Kane narrowly missing a toe-poke and Marcus Rashford curling a shot wide.One positive for Tuchel, though, was an impressive debut from midfielder Elliot Anderson, who looked assured and slick, albeit against opposition far inferior to what he normally faces in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest. Accustomed to cantering comfortably into tournaments but still without a major trophy since their 1966 World Cup win, England remain unbeaten in their last 35 World Cup qualifiers with 27 of those won.Ronaldo and Felix shine as Portugal thrash Armenia 5-0Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix both struck twice as the visitors brushed aside Armenia 5-0, giving Jose Martinez’s side a perfect start in their World Cup qualifiers. The Nations League champions had little trouble neutralising Armenia’s limited attacking threat and, after their fourth goal, rotated key players and used their momentum to showcase a more creative style, sealing a perfect start in Group F.It took 10 minutes before Portugal went ahead when Joao Cancelo reached the byline and lifted a precise cross onto the head of Felix who had little trouble breaking the deadlock. Ronaldo doubled the lead after 21 minutes, underlining Portugal’s dominance as he brushed past his marker to meet a cross from close range for his 139th international goal.The rout continued as Cancelo added a third for Portugal, finishing from Felix’s cut-back after 32 minutes. A minute after the restart, Ronaldo produced a moment of brilliance, unleashing a thunderous volley from distance that rocketed into the net, with Armenia goalkeeper Henri Avagyan managing the faintest of touches but powerless to stop it.With the fourth goal confirming Portugal’s dominance, the visitors began to play with greater freedom as they looked for inventive ways to carve out further chances. Just past the hour, Felix combined fortune with finesse as he raced into the box to meet a rebound from a blocked shot that seemed to slip past him, only for the forward to flick the ball in with a clever back-heel to give Portugal their fifth.The visitors pressed for a sixth late on, but Avagyan produced two fine saves before the referee blew for full time almost the instant stoppage time began, ending the rout.

Qatar will take on Russia today at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in a friendly match as part of preparations for the fourth-round play-offs of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.This will be Qatar’s second friendly of the September international break. Earlier this week, they drew 2-2 with Bahrain in a closed-door game, while today’s fixture against Russia will be open to the public for no cost.The match carries added weight as it serves as Qatar’s final test before the crucial qualifiers. The Maroons are seeking to reach the World Cup for a second consecutive time and the first through qualification after featuring as hosts at Qatar 2022. Russia, ranked 35th in world, played out a goalless draw with Jordan on Thursday.Ahead of the match, Qatar defender Ahmed Suhail said: “It is going to be a strong match against Russia, which is a formidable side. We are ready, and all the players are looking to give their best. The game is important for us, and we will follow the coach’s instructions. We are completely ready for the match and are eyeing a strong performance. e are expecting the home fans to turn out in numbers, which will be very motivating for us.”Qatar, currently ranked 53rd, have been drawn in Group A of the play-offs alongside the UAE and Oman. Group B features Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Indonesia, with Qatar and Saudi Arabia hosting their respective groups in a single-stage round-robin format from October 8–14.Qatar open their campaign against Oman on October 8, before facing the UAE on October 14. Oman and the UAE will meet on October 11. The group winners will book direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup, while the runners-up advance to a two-legged playoff on November 13 and 18, with the winner securing a place in the intercontinental playoff.Head coach Julen Lopetegui’s 25-man squad has undergone some changes during the international break, with Ahmed al-Janahi and Ismail Mohammed sidelined through injury and Youssef Abdul Razzaq called up as a replacement.Qatar squad:Meshaal Barsham, Salah Zakaria, Mahmoud Abu Nada, Ahmed al-Rawi, Ahmed Suhail, Ahmed Fathi, Bassam al-Rawi, Al-Mahdi Ali, Boualem Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel, Jassim Jaber, Sultan al-Breik, Tariq Salman, Humam al-Amin, Akram Afif, Ahmed Alaa, Edmilson Junior, Asim Madibo, Abdulaziz Hatem, Guilherme Torres, Karim Boudiaf, Mohammed Khaled, Mohammed Manai, Mohammed Muntari, Youssef Abdul Razzaq

England manager Thomas Tuchel is adamant there is "no curse" upon his side as he looks to end their near 60-year wait for a major international trophy. England's only previous major title came at the 1966 World Cup on home soil, defeating West Germany in the final.England came close several times to ending the drought under Tuchel's predecessor Gareth Southgate, losing successive European Championship finals, as well as reaching the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and the last eight in 2022. England's women have enjoyed success under Sarina Wiegman, winning back-to-back Euros titles in 2022 and 2025, while the men's Under-21 side are also double European champions after backing up their 2023 title with victory in Slovakia in June."Not at all," Tuchel said when asked if he felt extra pressure due to the women's and youth teams' successes. "If it is something, then it is a good omen and I was so happy for Sarina and (Under-21 coach) Lee (Carsley) because they made it and they made an extraordinary effort and a huge success with back-to-back victories... It is possible (to win a trophy with England), there is no curse on English teams and it is a good omen and we will do our very best to follow their example."England face Andorra today in qualifying for next year's World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, before taking on Serbia in Belgrade on Tuesday. "I get a lot of tips, that's for sure, but always in a friendly manner," former Chelsea boss Tuchel said of his interactions with England fans. "Most of them just say, 'Bring it home, Thomas'. That's basically the task."Manchester City defender John Stones has withdrawn from the squad for the upcoming games with injury. Stones has not added to his tally of 83 caps since last October. "Unfortunately, John Stones just left," Tuchel said. "He came with minor issues, muscular issues, to camp and didn't progress as we thought and hoped he would. So, he left camp this morning (Friday) because we will not take the risk. Everyone else is available."Tuchel confirmed England captain Harry Kane will lead the side in the Andorra qualifier. "Yes. He (Kane) starts. There is no balance, the competition is on and it is World Cup season," he said.England only beat Andorra, a lowly 174th in the FIFA world rankings, 1-0 when the teams met in their initial qualifier in June. "We will face in both matches a deep block and a 5-4-1 for sure in the first match and it is the challenge to overcome that quickly and aggressively and play with more rhythm than we did in the first match (against Andorra)," said Tuchel.Latvia and Albania are the other two sides in Group K of European qualifying, with the group winners booking a place at the World Cup.

Germany went down to a shock 2-0 defeat in Slovakia in their opening World Cup qualifier on Thursday, while Spain kicked off their bid to reach next year's finals with a comfortable 3-0 victory in Bulgaria.Atletico Madrid's David Hancko burst untracked into the penalty box to fire Slovakia into the lead just before half-time against Germany in Bratislava. David Strelec, who has just signed for Middlesbrough in the English Championship, then made it two with a brilliant strike high into the top corner 10 minutes into the second half.The result gives Slovakia a dream start in Group A as they attempt to qualify for a first World Cup since 2010. Germany, meanwhile, find themselves immediately under pressure even if this game was their hardest fixture in the group on paper. "We haven't had a great history in recent years and we should have realised that if we want to go to the World Cup and play a good role. Today, we were miles away," said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann.Germany have gone out of each of the last two World Cups in the group stage, but have never failed in a qualifying campaign. "If we perform like we did today, we'll definitely not qualify," warned captain Joshua Kimmich.Nagelsmann's side came into the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign off the back of losing both of their matches in the UEFA Nations League Final Four in June, against Portugal and France. They must now react quickly when they entertain Northern Ireland on Tuesday, with Luxembourg their other opponents in the four-team group. Only the group winners qualify directly for the 48-team finals in North America.Northern Ireland won 3-1 in Luxembourg, with Jamie Reid, Shea Charles and Justin Devenny scoring their goals. The home side had gone in on level terms at the break thanks to an Aiman Dardari equaliser, but Seid Korac's second-half red card ended their hopes of taking anything from the contest.European champions Spain, who lost June's Nations League final on penalties to Portugal, had few problems against Bulgaria in Sofia in Group E. Mikel Oyarzabal produced an expert finish from a Martin Zubimendi pass to open the scoring inside five minutes, and Marc Cucurella fired in a superb second goal on the half-hour.Lamine Yamal then set up Mikel Merino for the third goal on 38 minutes, and there was no further scoring. "We're happy but we have to keep taking steps forward," said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.Spain's next game is away to Turkey, who staved off a Georgia comeback to win 3-2 in Tbilisi. Mert Muldur's early opener was followed by two goals either side of half-time by Kerem Akturkoglu, and Turkey appeared to be cruising. However, Zuriko Davitashvili pulled one back and the visitors had Baris Alper Yilmaz sent off. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia then made it 3-2 deep in stoppage time, but Turkey held on for the victory.The Netherlands were held to a 1-1 draw by Poland in Rotterdam in Group G despite taking the lead in the first half through Denzel Dumfries. Matty Cash equalised with a ferocious late strike to deny Ronald Koeman's team, but the Dutch still the top the group on seven points -- they lead Poland and Finland on goal difference, and also boast a game in hand.Lithuania scored a penalty deep in injury time to draw 1-1 with Malta in the same group. Belgium walloped minnows Liechtenstein 6-0 away in Group J, with Maxim De Cuyper opening the scoring.Youri Tielemans netted twice including a penalty, while Arthur Theate, Kevin De Bruyne and Malick Fofana also struck. That result leaves Belgium three points behind group leaders Wales with two games in hand. Craig Bellamy's side won 1-0 in Kazakhstan earlier thanks to a Kieffer Moore goal.

Qatar romped to a 13-0 win over Brunei in their Group H clash at the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium Wednesday.Qatar’s opening goal came in the fourth minute through Moustafa Asar and Jassem al-Sharshani claiming their second two minutes later.Mubarak Hamza converted a penalty for their third in the 11th minute as the hosts scored their seventh in the 33rd minute through Abdulaziz Hassan as the West Asian side proceeded to race to a 7-0 lead at the interval.Three more goals came within the span of four minutes in the second half, with Asar claiming his hat-trick in the 54th, Noureldan Ibrahim adding another two minutes later and then Asar again in the 57th minute.Marawan Brimil put his name on the scoresheet in the 70th and 83rd minutes before Ibrahim wrapped proceedings with his brace in the fifth minute of stoppage time.In the other Group H clash, India eked out a 2-0 win over Bahrain at the Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium.A first half strike by Muhammad Suhail and another in the dying minutes by Shivaldo Singh was enough to give India victory over Bahrain in their group opener.Both sides were evenly matched in the first half an hour before India broke the deadlock in the 31st minute through Suhail, who plays for Indian Super League side Punjab FC.While Bahrain had an edge in possession in the second half, they failed to find the equaliser, managing only three shots at target.They lost any chance of gaining a point when India doubled their lead five minutes into stoppage time with a goal from Singh.Bahrain will play Brunei on Saturday.