Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Riyadh: Qatar booked their place in the 2014 Gulf Cup of Nations final after coming from behind to beat Oman 3-1 in Sunday’s semi-final clash at the King Fahd International Stadium.
It was Oman who took the lead in the 26th minute when a poor defensive header by Meshal Abdullah saw him clear the ball only as far as to Raed Ibrahim Saleh, who lashed an unstoppable volley past Qasem Burhan.
But the Qataris were handed a golden opportunity to pull level ten minutes later when Meshal was adjudged to have been brought down inside the area by Ali Al Habsi, and Hassan Al Haidous made no mistake in stepping up to the spot and blasting the equaliser straight down the middle.
A minute before the hour mark, Al Annabi edged ahead when Ali Assadalla’s low shot was deflected by Mohammed Al Musalami into the back of the net, after Ahmed Mubarak had sent an awful clearance straight to his opponent.
And they went on to secure the win in the 67th minute by grabbing a third goal after Meshal’s initial shot had come back off the foot of the post; Assadalla pouncing on the rebound and sending a looping effort over a stranded Al Habsi.
The Qataris are now just one victory away from claiming their third Gulf Cup of Nations, having previously won the competition in 1992 and 2004, but will have to be at their best to see off hosts Saudi Arabia, who advanced to the final after beating United Arab Emirates 3-2 in Sunday’s other semi-final.
Regardless of the result of the final, Qatar boss Djamel Belmadi is likely to be pleased with his side's overall display in the tournament as they build towards the AFC Asian Cup 2015, which takes place in Australia in less than two months' time.
Al Annabi have been drawn in Group C and will do battle with Iran, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for a place in the knockout round.
Photo: AFP