Salim Cheniouni
In preparation for the 17th edition
of the AFC Asian Cup, which will be taking place in the UAE from the 5th
of January until 1st of February, Qatar and Palestine faced each
other in a friendly at the Khalifa International Stadium two days after a solid performance against China, which they won 1-0.
Qatar national team captain Hassan
AL-Haydos celebrated his 100th match milestone, and was presented with a 100th
cap shirt by the president of Qatar Football Association Sheikh Hamad Bin
Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al-Thani, alongside his team mates.
Félix Sánchez, Qatar’s national coach, put
forward a strong starting 11 while resting the likes of Assim Madibo and Bassam
Husham.
Qatar started off right where they left off against China with a brilliant 3rd minute
header from Ali Almoez after a superb cross from Hassan Al-Haydos. This was
shortly followed by a stunning individual goal from Akram Afif in the 20th
minute, with the Al-Sadd superstar showing why he is the second top scorer in
the QSL with six goals. Nine minutes later, the man of the hour Hassan
al-Haydos celebrated his accomplishment with a 30th minute volley
from close range after the ball deflected off the crossbar from Boualem Khoukhi’s
shot.
The second half saw very few chances as
many substitutions were made and both teams stepped up their defensive tactics.
However, an 88th minute chance from striker Ahmed Alaaeldin saw him
miss a one-on-one opportunity with Palestinian goalkeeper Tawfiq Ali, who made
a brilliant save to deny the Qatari striker.
This match was a great opportunity for both
teams to prepare for their crucial AFC Asian Cup group stages, where Qatar will
start their campaign against Lebanon on the 9th of January, while
Palestine face Syria on the 6th of January.
Salim Cheniouni