Qatar secured a 2-0 victory over Bahrain in the opening match of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday. The win marks a strong start for Qatar against the defending champions.
The breakthrough came in the 61st minute when Boualem Khoukhi scored with a header from an Akram Afif free-kick. However, Qatar faced a setback in the 70th minute as Ahmed Fathi was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, reducing the team to 10 men.
Despite the numerical advantage, Bahrain couldn’t capitalize and find an equalizer. In the ninth minute of stoppage time, Hassan Al Haydos secured the win for Qatar by converting a penalty after being fouled inside the box.
With this victory, Qatar stands second in Group B, trailing the United Arab Emirates, who earlier defeated Yemen 4-0. Qatar will next face Yemen, while Bahrain is set to meet the UAE in the upcoming group matches.
