Qatar qualifies to the next round, thanks to a strong match by Bahrain

With a win securing the Qatar qualification, the match against the United Arab Emirates was vital for the Maroons in this Gulf Cup group stage.

The third match ignited at Iraq’s Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium, with the Qataris introducing themselves with a high tempo in the attack against the Emirates.

However, similar to previous matches, Qatar’s problem with strong finishing resurfaced as Ahmed Alaa shot a weak strike into the hands of the goalkeeper.

Alaa was eyed as the man of the match for the Qataris as he, the centre forward, has been an influential piece in his squad and was key in their last game against Kuwait.

In the 16th minute, Alaa was substituted from the game due to injury, and Yousuf Abdurisag took his place.

The changes allowed the UAE to gain confidence within the pitch as Fabio Lima sending a header that went over the crossbar.

Both teams played a fair game deep within the first half, however the UAE had two shots on goal, with Qatar only having one.

The Bruno Miguel Pinheiro side continued to lack the ability to score as Khalid Muneer had a clear chance to make it count but instead sent the ball to the stands.

Substitute Abdurisag made the same mistake when he was left alone with the goalkeeper, but nerves got the best of him and he flopped the shot.

The first half ended with Qatar desperate to make it count as an advancing UAE squad.

Despite the scoreless match, Bahrain and Kuwait drew 1-1 in the other game, edging Qatar to qualify as things stand.

After the break, Qatar scoured the pitch for a goal, but the Emirates found a gamble as a penalty was awarded against the Maroons in the 64th minute.

However, veteran Caio Canedo’s penalty goes out of the post, ushering in an embarrassing moment for the footballer.

Seeking his revenge in the 73rd minute, Canedo returned to the attack, fooling the Qatari defence but again shooting an off-target attempt despite the open lane.

With the goal in favour of UAE, and the draw in the match between Bahrain and Kuwait, Qatar faces elimination from the Gulf Cup.

However minutes before the game ends, Tameem Al-Abdullah saves his team from humiliation and strikes in an unstoppable shot to the back of the net.

The son of the football icon Mansour Muftah, Al-Abdullah’s goal regains the squad into momentum and adds 10 extra minutes on the clock.

The game ends with Qatar advancing to the semi-finals of the tournament.