In a strong start to their 27th Arabian Gulf Cup campaign, Qatar secured a 2-0 victory over defending champions Bahrain at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday. The match saw Qatar overcoming challenges, including being reduced to 10 players, to claim an important win.
The breakthrough came in the 61st minute when Boualem Khoukhi scored the opening goal by heading in a delivery from an Akram Afif free-kick. The game took a dramatic turn in the 70th minute when Qatar’s Ahmed Fathi received a second yellow card, leaving his team with only 10 players on the field.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Qatar managed to hold off Bahrain’s efforts to level the score. In the ninth minute of stoppage time, Qatar was awarded a penalty, which was successfully converted by Hassan Al Haydos after he was fouled inside the box. This late goal secured Qatar’s victory.
With this win, Qatar stands second in Group B, trailing the United Arab Emirates, who had earlier secured a 4-0 victory over Yemen. Looking ahead, Qatar is set to face Yemen in their next group match, while Bahrain will take on the UAE.