BAHRAIN outclassed Qatar 5-2 yesterday to kick off their campaign on a winning note in the 2019 Asian Football Confederation Beach Soccer Championship, being played in Pattaya, Thailand.
Salman Al Yaqoobi and Abdulla Al Abdulla both scored twice for Bahrain, who are looking to qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup for the first time since 2009. Ayoob Mubarak netted their fifth as they came away with the full three points.
“We won and that’s the important thing,” Bahrain head coach Mahmood Al Ghawi said after the match. “We had the first period but Qatar know what we do, so they made it about defence and were able to make goals themselves. This is just the first step for us.”
With the result, Bahrain are in second place on the Group ‘C’ standings. Continental powerhouses Japan thrashed Kuwait 8-1 in yesterday’s other divisional fixture.
Bahrain next face off with their Kuwaiti counterparts tomorrow, while the Japanese and Qataris clash.
Bahrain immediately dictated terms in yesterday’s contest, peppering Qatar goalkeeper Amro Fawzi’s goal in the opening minutes.
Chances
That pressure paid dividends when Al Abdullah caressed the ball low to the keeper’s left to open the scoring in the fifth minute. Al Yaqoobi got then on the end of Ebrahim Al Mahjoob’s clever headed cross to give Bahrain a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period.
The Qataris gained a foothold in the game when Shran Al Klif scored in the first minute of the second period, but the Bahrainis responded with a string of chances. A combination of inaccuracy, the woodwork and several fine saves from Abdulrahman Qahtan kept the score close.
After a long scoreless period, Bahrain finally found some breathing space when Ayoob Mubarak forced home their third with the outside of his left foot in the 28th minute. Qatar replied almost immediately through Hazem Samy.
Qatar could sense an opportunity for their first-ever points in the competition but Al Yaqoobi wasn’t having it. He beat Qahtan to make it 4-2 with five minutes remaining, before Al Abdulla hammered in his second off the woodwork the following minute.
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