Qatar survive away at Kuwait as Almoez Ali hits two
Sudesh Baniya in Doha
It certainly would not be as easy as it was at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium for Qatar, but there always was an entertainment value in the away leg in Kuwait.
With the group wide open following Afghanistan’s courageous 2-1 win away to India, a draw would have taken Kuwait level on points with the two. It seemed like a goalless stalemate would indeed ensue at Sabah Al Salem Stadium with just under 15 minutes to play, as it had been the case throughout the night. However, after what was a tumultuous three-minute period marked by three goals, Al Annabi came out victorious, this time powered by a brace from their goal machine Almoez Ali.
Mirroring the first leg’s progression, Qatar had started in a rather ordinary fashion. The first half barely produced any moments for Tintin Marquez’s side, which saw four changes from a convincing 3-0 win in Doha last week. Al Rayyan’s young attacker Ahmed Al Rawi was handed his first-ever start for the national team, and he was joined by Homam Ahmed, Abdullah Alahrak, and Ismail Mohammed in the line-up.
Marquez’s decision to field a rather top-heavy eleven did not work out, however. Kuwait were able to bypass the midfield frequently and to Qatar’s dismay, looked like the better side when put to defensive duties.
Patches of chances fell either way during the first forty-five – none of them convincing enough – but Kuwait certainly had found a way to cope with Akram Afif on the night. Consequently, Al Annabi channeled their chances to young Al Rawi and Almoez, and the latter ultimately turned up to save the day for Qatar.
It started in the 77th minute with Almoez meeting a ball from Afif, this time correcting his mistake that he committed ten minutes before halftime, sending the ball over the crossbar in a chance that he would have buried in his dreams.
Al Annabi’s momentary relief and happiness were shortlived, however, as Mohammed Daham’s header from close range drew the home side level after just two minutes, sending the home crowd roaring. It lasted for less than a minute with Almoez getting behind another chance and dinking the ball past goalkeeper Sulaiman Abdulghafoor’s gloves at the other end. The Al-Duhail man thus extended his lead at the top of the Asian qualifiers scoring chart, taking his tally to seven so far.
That all but sealed Qatar’s path to the next Asian Cup, and the next round of the World Cup qualifiers as well, except for a minor scare from an attempt by Ahmad Aldhefiri in the 89th minute, which could have found the target. However, he was closed down by both Meshaal Barsham and Mohammed Waad, and the ball eventually went above the crossbar.
In positive terms, though, Almoez’s brace will be a relief for Marquez and Qatar, who looked rather blunt on the night, yet came out getting the job done for good. Sitting at the top of the table with absolute points should be a boost for this Qatari side, which is heading to a longer project, incorporating a new crop of players to its core, under Marquez.
