Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tashkent: Braces from Hadi Jaber and Lucas Oliveira helped Qatar pick up their first points of the AFC Futsal Championship with a 6-2 win over Malaysia in Group D on Monday.
Akmalrulnizam Idris opened the scoring for the Malaysians within a minute at Universal Stadium only for Qatar to fight back almost instantly through Mohamed Ali.
Further goals from Saad Bilal and Jaber put the West Asians in firm control before Muhammad Afif pulled one back shortly before the interval.
Jaber restored Qatar’s two-goal advantage in the 26th minute after Muhamad Fitri was sent off before Oliveira’s late double wrapped up the scoring as Tiago De Sousa’s side claimed the victory that left Malaysia rooted to the foot of the table without a point.
“We are not satisfied because we came here to make the quarter-finals, but maybe this target was too high,” said Qatar coach De Sousa.
“Our final was against Australia and I think the pressure didn’t help us. But overall this was a positive tournament. We go home with a goal difference of zero for the first time.
“Today we played well and we played with pride. Now we must remember the feeling of losing to Australia and use that to work hard and improve.”
Malaysia took the lead in the first minute when Khairul Effendy crossed for Idris to tap home, but Ali got on the end of Flavio Barreto’s cross to make it all square less than 60 seconds later.
Then in the fifth minute the Qataris went in front after Barreto (pictured) teed up Bilal before extending their lead on nine minutes when Jaber scored from close in for his second of the tournament.
But Qatar stopper Ahmad Khalil was then quick down to expertly deny Effendy three minutes before the break only for Afif to convert Muhammad Addli’s cross a minute later to make it 3-2.
Five minutes after the restart Fitri received his marching orders after he brought down Jaber as he raced through on goal, and the Qatari number 10 then grabbed his second of the afternoon after Amro Mohssein’s through ball.
Malaysia should have pulled one back in the 33rd minute but Khalil blocked from Afif then produced a wonderful diving save from Saiful Nizam to keep the Southeast Asians at bay before almost grabbing a goal of his own with his long kick over the top while Marcelo Serpa’s side was on a power play.
And Oliveira did take advantage of a Malaysian power play two minutes from time as he played the ball into an empty net from inside his own half for his second of the campaign before grabbing another from close just before full time.
they did today,” said Malaysia coach Serpa.
“We were too relaxed after scoring such an early goal. After Qatar scored the first goal there was a moment where we were out of the game.
“The second half started well but after we went down to four men they controlled the ball and took advantage so we could not come into the game.”
Photo: AFC