Qatar kicked off their 27th Arabian Gulf Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over defending champions Bahrain at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday. The match saw Qatar’s Boualem Khoukhi break the deadlock in the 61st minute, heading in a goal from an Akram Afif free-kick.
Despite being reduced to 10 men in the 70th minute when Ahmed Fathi received a second yellow card, Qatar managed to hold their lead. Bahrain intensified their efforts following the sending-off but were unable to level the score.
Hassan Al Haydos secured the win for Qatar by converting a penalty in the ninth minute of stoppage time, after being fouled in the box. This result places Qatar second in Group B, trailing the United Arab Emirates, who earlier defeated Yemen 4-0.
Looking ahead, Qatar is set to face Yemen in their next group match, while Bahrain will compete against the UAE. The outcomes of these matches will be crucial in determining the teams advancing from Group B.
