Qatar kicked off their 27th Arabian Gulf Cup campaign with a decisive 2-0 win against defending champions Bahrain at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday. The match saw Boualem Khoukhi score the opening goal in the 61st minute, connecting with an Akram Afif free-kick to put Qatar in the lead.
A twist came in the 70th minute when Qatar was reduced to 10 men following Ahmed Fathi’s second yellow card. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Bahrain couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity, struggling to find an equalizer as they pushed forward aggressively.
The match’s outcome was firmly decided in the ninth minute of stoppage time when Hassan Al Haydos converted a penalty, awarded after he was fouled inside the box, securing Qatar’s victory.
This result places Qatar in the second position in Group B, trailing the United Arab Emirates, who secured a commanding 4-0 victory over Yemen earlier in the day. Qatar is set to face Yemen in their next group match, while Bahrain will compete against the UAE.