RIYADH: Qatar saved their best for last yesterday as they rallied from a goal down to beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 here to win their third Gulf Cup title.
It was also their first Gulf Cup triumph away from home soil.
Saudi skipper Saud Kariri sent the huge crowd at the nearly-full King Fahd International Stadium into raptures in the 16th minute when he rose unmarked to plant a diagonal header home after Al Abid whipped in a free-kick from near the corner flag.
But Qatar held their nerve and responded within two minutes. Hassan Khalid’s left-sided corner was met by Al Mahdi Ali at the near post and he nodded an angled effort in beyond goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah to silence the celebrations in the stands.
The swiftness of the Qatari riposte clearly stung Saudi Arabia and they only managed to regain their composure towards the end of the first-half.
In fact, Salem Al Dawsari missed a golden opportunity to put the Green Falcons ahead again, six minutes before the break, when he latched onto
Al Abid’s pass and carelessly slotted wide of Qasem Burhan’s far post.
The exclamation point in the game came in the 58th minute. Boualem Khoukhi netted the match winner from inside the box when his spectacular volley beat the Saudi goalkeeper hands down and thudded into the back of the net.
The Saudis, however, tried to make a fight of it and strove hard for the equalizer. Tempers began flaring and the referee had to dig into his pocket for numerous yellow cards.
But the Qatari defence was impregnable and the Maroons maintained their lead till the final whistle to secure a famous victory.
Qatar Football Association (QFA) President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani lauded the players’ courage. “First of all, I would like to congratulate the Emir, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and His Excellency Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani on this brilliant achievement by Qatar. I have to say it was a brave show by our boys. They fought all the way and never looked like giving in to pressure. I am sure the fans will be thrilled with this win,” he said.
“It was a very important event for us and I am pleased with the way we played. We have more events coming up that are crucial for our team,” the QFA President said.
“I am sure the boys will keep working hard, just as we did today. We won’t stop here,” he added.
Qatar’s next big assignment is the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia this January.
Striker Meshal Abdullah credited the team’s fighting spirit for yesterday’s victory.
“I think our team spirit was the key. We worked extremely hard and never gave up even when he had those three draws,” Abdullah said.
“We were the better side and we played with with heart and courage,” he added.
Experienced midfielder Wisam Rizq said: “This win will delight our fans. It was an amazing fight by Qatar. We were confident of fighting all the way.”
Forward Hassan Al Haydos said: “We thank God for this amazing achievement. We were together and kept fighting against a very good team.”
Striker Boualem Khouki said Al Annabi had proved many doubters wrong. “I think we proved many people wrong. I am sure this is the perfect gift for our fans. The boys did not get nervous or get overwhelmed in front of such a huge crowd. Despite their early (Saudi) goal we knew we would fight back,” he added.
Ali Mabkhout of the UAE bagged the top scorer award while Qassem Burhan of Qatar claimed the best goalkeeper prize. The player of the tournament went to Nawaf Al Adib of Saudi Arabia.
THE PENINSULA
