Doha: Ahmed Alaa scored twice while captain Abdelkarim Hassan and Moez Ali both scored as hosts Qatar qualified for the quarter-finals of the AFC U23 Championship with a 100% record as Group A winners following yesterday’s highly entertaining 4-2 comeback win over Syria.
Yousef Kalfa had given Syria the lead after just four minutes at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium only for Hassan to quickly net his fourth goal in three games to level the scores, before Alaa netted his third of the group stage after 25 minutes.
Ali extended the advantage just three minutes later, and after Omar Kharbin’s late penalty for Syria had threatened a comeback, Alaa made sure of the win with eight minutes remaining as Felix Sanchez’s Qatar followed up earlier wins over China and Iran to set-up a quarter-final meeting with the runner-up from Group B back at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Friday.
“It is obviously not the start of the game we expected, we were a bit sleepy in the beginning of the game and our opponents were pushing and we received a goal, but the mentality of the team was very good after we conceded,” said Qatar coach Sanchez.
“We scored three and this gave us the rhythm of the game and I think in the second half we created many chances to score more goals and finally it was 4-2 and I am proud of the players for their effort. It is amazing against a team who it is difficult to play against, but I think we deserved the result.
“Our aim is the next game which is the quarter-final and there is no second chance and we will try to compete well and play well in the next game to be in the next stage which is the semi-final. The players are highly motivated and looking forward to play in the next game and to win to be in the semi-final.”
Looking to build on Friday’s 3-1 win over China to remain in the qualification picture, Syria took the lead after just four minutes as Kalfa rifled home from the edge of the penalty area past an unsighted Muhannad Naim in the Qatar goal after Amro Jeniat had been given a second chance to deliver the ball into the box.
But the lead lasted just six minutes as Hassan bundled home via the underside of the crossbar from the edge of the six yard area after Akram Afif’s poor free-kick from the edge of the area had fortunately deflected off a team-mate on the edge of the wall.
Qatar completed the turnaround just 15 minutes later as Alaa rounded off a swift counterattack by holding off defender Abdullah Al Shami before firing low across Nassan from inside the area following Afif’s charging run from inside his own half.
And just three minutes later Qatar added a third as Ali muscled off defender Mouaiad Al Ajaan to race onto Afif’s sublime chipped pass before calmly rounding exposed goalkeeper Nassan and rolling the ball into the empty net.
The start to the second half was less frantic, although Qatar came close to a fourth just five minutes after the restart as Alaa tested Nassan from outside of the area.
Qatar continued to look the more likely to increase their lead, although the home side were indebted to goalkeeper Naim with 12 minutes remaining as the custodian produced a superb one-handed diving save to push away a powerful header from Syria substitute Nassouh Nakkdahli.
But the contest appeared to be heading for a tense finish as Kharbin converted from the penalty spot with nine minutes remaking after Nakkdahli had been bundled over inside the area by Musaab Al Khidir.
Any thoughts of a comeback, though, were quickly extinguished a minute later as Alaa raced onto Ali Asad’s perfectly weighted through ball before beating Nassan with a composed finish.
“I think we played one of our best games, but the scenario of the game did not go as we planned,” said Syria coach Muhannad Al Fakeer after seeing his side eliminated from the tournament after Iran recorded 3-2 win over China to claim second place.
“We lost this game, but I think we played a good game, but it was not enough.
“We made mistakes with passes and with positioning and these mistakes affected us during the match and they affected the result. Such games need strong mentality to help the team when you are leading.”
The Peninsula
