DOHA: Buoyant after their last month’s Gulf Cup title, Qatar showed they will be a force to be reckoned at the upcoming Asian Cup with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Estonia in a friendly game, here at the Lekhwiya Stadium yesterday.
Just hours before their departure for Australia for the January 9 to 31 continental event, the Annabis outclassed their European counterparts throughout the 90 minutes to set perfect launch pad for the Asian Cup, with all their three goals coming in the first half.
Mohammad Muntari opened up the scoring in 23rd minute with Abdul Karim doubling the lead, seven minutes later. Mohammad Ismail took the score beyond Estonia’s reach by netting a goal in 36th minute.
With the victory, Qatar maintained their unbeaten run which started with the friendly matches in build-up for the Gulf Cup that also includes an emphatic 1-0 win over Australia. The Djamel Belmadi’s side also remained unbeaten in the Gulf Cup where they overcame hosts Saudi Arabia in the final in Riyadh.
The team was scheduled to leave for Canberra via a chartered flight late yesterday night. Qatar have been drawn in Group C of the Asian Cup along with the UAE, Iran and Bahrain.
THE PENINSULA
