Yemen, Qatar win to set up showdown
Yemen and Qatar will play off for a direct place in AFC U-19 Championship Uzbekistan 2020 tomorrow, after both registered important wins yesterday in the Group B qualifying matches at the Aspire Pitches,
Yemen flew out of the blocks to beat Sri Lanka 3-0, before Qatar defeated Turkmenistan 4-1, leaving both teams on six points after two matches, with Qatar ahead on goal difference.
While all is still to play for Group B’s top two, Sri Lanka and Turkmenistan remain winless and are out of contention for AFC U-19 Championship berths.
A starring contribution from Qatar captain Naif Abdulraheem al-Hadhrami proved crucial for Qatar as the Group B hosts remained unbeaten with a 4-1 win over a determined Turkmenistan. Al-Hadhrami scored twice in a second half which produced all five of the game’s goals, twice giving Qatar the lead before striker Mekki Tombari took his tally to four in two matches with two late goals.
While Turkmenistan pushed the hosts for most of the contest, a second defeat in three days means their hopes of qualifying for next year’s Finals have been dashed with a game against Sri Lanka still to come.
With Qatar under pressure to match Yemen’s back-to-back wins, and Turkmenistan needing a result to stay in contention, the first half was an arm wrestle which produced nervous moments for both defences.
Odemyrat Annayev came close to nodding Turkmenistan into the lead, while Tombari was unlucky not score with a terrific turning half-volley, but neither side managed to find the net in an entertaining opening 45 minutes.
Al-Hadhrami blew the game open in the 51st minute, finding the net with a sensational longrange piledriver which Turkmenistan goalkeeper Amanmuhammet
Orayev found too hot to handle despite it coming from fully 35 yards out.
Qatari custodian Yousef Balideh made a stunning save to stop Rahman Myratberdiyev from equalising at the other end, but there was nothing he could to prevent Myratberdiyev from netting in the 58th minute, with the Turkmen striker leaving Baldieh rooted to the spot with a fine header.
With Qatari’s place on top of the group in danger, al-Hadhrami emerged as the game changer once again, latching onto an excellent low cross from Tombari to make it 2-1 just five minutes later, before Tombari gave the hosts breathing space with another goal in the 68th minute, with Turkmenistan’s defence paying the price for switching off to allow Jassim Mohammed al-Mehairi to deliver a pinpoint cross.
Turkmenistan were given an unexpected opportunity when Qatar’s Mohamed Aiash was sent off for a second bookable offence with 18 minutes remaining, but Tombari quashed any chance of a revival when he timed his run to perfection to make it 4-1 for the hosts.
With Qatar’s points safe, all now hinges on tomorrow’s group decider, where a Qatari win or draw against Yemen will secure the a place in the AFC U-19 Championship in Uzbekistan. The 11 group winners and four best runners-up will join hosts Uzbekistan in the 2020 Finals.
Earlier, Yemen flew out of the gates as al-Godaimah powerfully headed in a cross following a short corner routine to make it 1-0 after 12 minutes against Sri Lanka. The lead was extended just six minutes later when alHarbi outpaced the Sri Lankan defence before hammering the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle and an acrobatic volley from Mohamed Abdulwahab al-Thulaia very nearly added another goal shortly after.