The hosts, needing a win to kickstart their campaign, saw Boualem Khoukhi test Erzhan Tokotaev with a long range free-kick six minutes in while Kyrgyz Republic presented a threat on the counter.

It was winger Joel Kojo who had his side’s best sight of goal in the early exchanges, stepping inside of Khoukhi to unleash a shot from 20 yards but he pulled his attempt wide.

Kojo’s pace down the left was Kyrgyz Republic’s most likely outlet and the Uzbekistan-based winger was released on the half hour mark, once more cutting inside to shoot towards goal. This time his deflected effort was on target, but Meshaal Barsham slapped the ball to safety.

With a little over six minutes left in the half the Qataris went in front.

Edmilson Junior’s corner was nodded on by Khoukhi to Abdelrahman Fahmi and, after his headed attempt came back off the crossbar, Ali was on hand to bundle the ball over the line from barely a yard out with his thigh.

Akram Afif squandered a gilt-edged opportunity when he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, lifting the ball over Tokotaev only for the attempted lob to bounce agonisingly on top of the crossbar.

But the Qatari playmaker eventually unlocked the Kyrgyz defence in the 63rd minute, firing in a low cross from the right that Kozubaev turned past his own goalkeeper although Shukurov struck back 14 minutes from time with a blistering finish off the inside of the crossbar.

But Al Hassan put the result beyond doubt when he rolled the ball in from 12 yards to give Qatar all three points.

Qatar play the Islamic Republic of Iran next on Tuesday while Kyrgyz Republic face DPR Korea.