Qatar kicked off their 27th Arabian Gulf Cup campaign with a decisive 2-0 win against defending champions Bahrain at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday. The match saw Qatar securing a vital victory despite being down to 10 men for the final 20 minutes of regular time.
The breakthrough came in the 61st minute when Boualem Khoukhi headed in a goal from an Akram Afif free-kick, giving Qatar the lead. However, the dynamics shifted dramatically in the 70th minute when Ahmed Fathi was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, leaving Qatar with ten players on the field.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Qatar held firm against Bahrain’s offensive efforts to find an equalizer. The Qatari team then cemented their victory deep into stoppage time. Hassan Al Haydos was awarded a penalty after being fouled inside the box, which he successfully converted in the ninth minute of added time, sealing the 2-0 result.
This victory places Qatar second in Group B standings, trailing the United Arab Emirates, who had earlier secured an emphatic 4-0 win over Yemen. Qatar’s next challenge will be against Yemen, while Bahrain will face the UAE in upcoming group matches.