Hosts Qatar stormed to the knock-out stage of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 with a 1-0 win in opposition to China.
AFC Asian Cup hosts Qatar completed their group stage in model on Monday with a spectacular volley from Hassan Al-Haydos for a 1-0 win over China, which is on the point of elimination from the event.
The impasse on the Khalifa Worldwide Stadium was damaged halfway by the second half with an unforgettable strike. Akram Afif’s nook was instantly met exterior the world by Al-Haydos, who confidently volleyed into the highest nook. Each gamers had simply been launched as substitutes.
Qatar, who had already secured its spot within the knockout stage, topped Group A with 9 factors and superior with Tajikistan, who beat last-place Lebanon 2-1 to take second place with 4 factors.
China completed with simply two factors and failed to attain in any of their three video games. They’ve by no means gained the Asian Cup and should now look ahead to different outcomes however have solely the faintest of probabilities of squeezing into the following spherical as one of many 4 best-performing third-place groups within the six teams.
Qatar might have misplaced all three video games on residence soil on the 2022 World Cup however have been excellent within the Asian Cup, advancing to the spherical of 16 by profitable all three video games with out conceding a purpose.
Already sure of the highest spot heading into the match, defending champions Qatar made 9 adjustments from the earlier recreation, handing the initiative to China who created higher probabilities within the first half.
Wei Shihao had three alternatives to attain his crew’s first purpose. After simply seven minutes, he side-footed large from simply inside the world and later, his low shot from shut vary was saved by Qatar’s Saad Al Sheeb.
Wei went shut once more proper earlier than the break with a header that simply cleared the bar.
After Al-Haydos’s excellent purpose within the 66th, China had the ball within the web with three minutes remaining however Jiang Shenglong’s shot was dominated out because the ball had gone out of play within the buildup.
Within the group’s different fixture, Tajikistan rallied to beat Lebanon and advance to the knockout stage for the primary time.
“We made history today and this is the biggest thing for the Tajikistan people,” coach Petar Segrt stated. “It was difficult but we kept fighting and we did it.”
Lebanon took the lead early within the second half with a curling shot from Bassel Jradi however had been decreased to 10 males after 54 minutes due to a foul by Kassem El Zein.
Tajikistan had two objectives dominated out for offside however lastly scored with 10 minutes remaining. Parvizdzhon Umarbaev scored, then Nuriddin Khamrokulov headed residence a profitable purpose within the second minute of second-half stoppage time.
