Hosts and holders Qatar fought again to defeat Palestine 2-1 and attain the Asian Cup quarter-finals on Monday, becoming a member of a Jordan facet who struck twice in damage time to stun Iraq.
Qatar will face the winner of Tuesday’s last-16 assembly between Uzbekistan and Thailand, the lowest-ranked group left in Doha at 113 on this planet.
A younger woman within the crowd on the tent-like Al-Bayt Stadium north of Doha held up an indication that mentioned “Sorry Palestine” after the ultimate whistle.
Palestine coach Makram Daboub mentioned he was happy with his “champions” as their finest Asian Cup got here to an finish within the final 16.
Palestine have been enjoying within the knockout rounds for the primary time and, in opposition to the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas struggle within the Palestinian territory of Gaza, took a shock first-half lead.
Fresh from beating Hong Kong 3-0 for his or her first win within the competitors’s historical past, Palestine made a vivid begin and Oday Dabbagh fired them forward on 37 minutes.
He and his team-mates celebrated by crossing their raised arms in a handcuffs gesture to symbolise the plight of the Palestinian folks.
Qatar had did not settle in entrance of an expectant house crowd and the Palestinians, ranked 99 to the hosts’ 58, have been dreaming of constructing extra historical past by advancing in opposition to the percentages.
But captain Hassan Al-Haydos got here to Qatar’s rescue on the stroke of half-time when he rammed the ball previous goalkeeper Rami Hamada after a nook was neatly reduce to him by Akram Afif.
Four minutes after the break Afif scored his fourth objective of the match, from the penalty spot, and Qatar cruised via the remainder of the match.
Daboub mentioned his gamers “gave everything despite the very difficult circumstances”.
“I can’t ask any more of them — they have honoured Palestinian football,” he mentioned.
The attendance of greater than 60,000 meant this 18th version is already the most-watched Asian Cup with 1.06 million folks via the turnstiles thus far, beating the 1.04 million who attended in China in 2004.
Jordan’s beautiful comeback
Jordan will meet Tajikistan within the quarter-finals after scoring twice in three minutes deep in stoppage time to beat Iraq 3-2.
There have been chaotic scenes in Iraq’s post-match press convention when indignant Iraqi reporters confronted the group’s Spanish coach Jesus Casas, earlier than safety stepped in to usher them away.
“It pains me what happened,” Casas mentioned of the incident.
Jordan had a person benefit after the 77th-minute dismissal of Aymen Hussein — booked for celebrating — however appeared down and out in damage time, just for Yazan Al-Arab to prod in a Ninety fifth-minute leveller.
If that was arduous to imagine, higher was to come back two minutes later for Jordan when Nizar Al-Rashdan curled in from outdoors the field to fireplace the underdogs into the final eight and spark wild celebrations.
Iraq’s heartbroken gamers have been left flat-out on the turf, their desires of repeating the nation’s fairytale 2007 Asian Cup title someway snatched from their grasp.
Jordan’s coach Hussein Ammouta agreed with Casas that the tough dismissal of Hussein for a second yellow card for over-celebrating what he thought was Iraq’s winner modified the sport.
“The second half belonged to them, they scored two goals and then had to continue with 10 players,” mentioned the Moroccan.
Jordan, who held South Korea 2-2 within the group part, subsequent face a Tajikistan facet who’re one of many shock packages of the competitors on their Asian Cup debut.
On Tuesday, Jurgen Klinsmann’s South Korea play Roberto Mancini’s Saudi Arabia for the best to face Australia within the final eight.
Source web site: www.hindustantimes.com
