Al Annabi secured their first victory of the Asian Qualifiers campaign at Al Thumama Stadium, showcasing a strong performance ahead of a challenging match against Iran. The dynamic attacking pair of Almoez Ali and Akram Afif were instrumental in Qatar’s 3-1 win over Kyrgyzstan.
– Ali opened the scoring in the 39th minute and later set up 18-year-old Ibrahim Al-Hassan for a goal in the 81st minute, while Afif created havoc for the Kyrgyz defense, ultimately leading to an own goal.
– Kyrgyzstan managed only one goal, a beautiful strike from Alimardon Shukurov in the 76th minute, in front of an audience of 25,195.
– Coming into this matchup, Qatar faced pressure after losing their first two qualifiers, including a disappointing 3-1 defeat to the UAE and a draw against North Korea that felt more like a loss to head coach Bartolome Marquez Lopez.
– Following the win, Lopez expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, noting they created numerous opportunities throughout the match.
Lopez made strategic changes in the lineup due to injuries, with Abdelaziz Hatem taking the captain’s role and experienced defenders Abdelkarim Hassan and Boualem Khoukhi returning to the starting lineup. Edmilson Junior also started, contributing to a more balanced attack.
– The urgency and aggression from Qatar paid off with Ali scoring from a corner in the first half.
– In the second half, Afif’s cross led to an own goal by defender Tamirlan Kozubaev, doubling Qatar’s lead.
– Afif’s relentless high press forced another error from Kyrgyzstan, allowing Ali to set up Al-Hassan for his second international goal.
Despite some lapses in concentration leading to their goal, Kyrgyzstan’s coach Maksim Lisitsyn acknowledged the quickness and quality of Qatar’s players. Currently, Kyrgyzstan remains winless in the group.
With help from other match results, Qatar climbed to fourth in their group with four points. However, Lopez remains aware of the challenges ahead, stating the competition is fierce and preparations must continue diligently for their upcoming clash against Iran in the UAE on October 15.
