Qatar kicked off their 27th Arabian Gulf Cup campaign with a decisive 2-0 victory over reigning champions Bahrain at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday. This win places Qatar in a strong position within Group B, second only to the United Arab Emirates, who achieved a 4-0 win against Yemen earlier in the day.
Boualem Khoukhi put Qatar on the scoreboard in the 61st minute, heading in a goal from an Akram Afif free-kick. The momentum shifted slightly when Qatar’s Ahmed Fathi received a second yellow card in the 70th minute, reducing Qatar to 10 players. Despite Bahrain’s increased pressure following the sending-off, they were unable to capitalize and equalize the score.
Qatar sealed their victory in the ninth minute of stoppage time with a penalty converted by Hassan Al Haydos. The penalty was awarded after Al Haydos was brought down inside the box, ensuring Qatar’s comfortable win.
With this result, Qatar is poised to face Yemen in their next group match, while Bahrain will seek to regroup and challenge the United Arab Emirates. The outcome of these matches will be crucial in determining the teams’ standings in the group stage of the tournament.