Despite a better showing than in the World Cup opener, Al Annabi couldn’t outclass the Lions of Teranga at the Al Thumama stadium.
Pressure was mounting on Qatar’s national team ahead of today’s game, after a loss at their World Cup debut earlier this week.
Al Annabi kicked off their second-ever World Cup match on Friday at the Al Thumama stadium, facing off against a confident Senegal.
The Qataris appeared a lot more put together than compared to the previous match, with superstar forward Akram Afif shooting down the pitch in the early moments of the game.
However, Senegal was not far behind and managed to find across into the box though at 9 minutes, raising the alarm.
At 15 minutes, Qatar won a free kick that opened up the gate for the first shot on target of the night. Ten minutes later, Qatar’s Hasan shot a powerful strike, though to no avail.
Senegal draw first blood
A risky stumble by Barsham just outside the penalty area at 38 minutes led to Senegal applying the pressure and just minutes later, and it was clear that the pressure was a little too much. Senegal’s Dia secured the first goal of the evening and sent the outnumbered Senegalese fans roaring.
By half time, Al Annabi appeared shaken and lost its composure, with Senegal owning the majority of possession by the half time whistle.
This continued into the second half, with the Lions of Teranga finding the back of the net for a second time. A beautiful corner kick connected with Diedhou, who headed it into the Qatari net at 48 minutes.
Despite falling behind, Qatar continued to fight, with Afif making several breaks down the field.
At 61 minutes, Hassan was just a few inches too wide after taking a crack at goal from 25 yards out. Two minutes later, another shot on target was fired by Afif as Qatar appeared to pick up the pace.
Substitute Muntari made an almost immediate impact with a mesmerising header that prompted fans of the host nation to break into cheers and chants in the stands. It was the first-ever World Cup goal for Qatar and the challenge appeared to be back on.
However, Senegal couldn’t be kept down for too long. The Lions pounced back to secure their third goal of the game at 83 minutes, all but securing the win against the host nation.
