Qatar triumphed over Bahrain with a 2-0 victory in their opening match of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup, held at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday. The win marked a strong start for Qatar against the defending champions.
The match saw its first goal when Boualem Khoukhi found the net in the 61st minute, capitalizing on a precise free-kick delivery from Akram Afif. Despite being reduced to ten men after Ahmed Fathi was sent off in the 70th minute for receiving a second yellow card, Qatar managed to maintain their lead.
Bahrain increased their offensive efforts following Fathi’s expulsion, but were unable to break through Qatar’s defense to level the score. The game was sealed in the ninth minute of stoppage time when Hassan Al Haydos scored from the penalty spot after being fouled inside the box.
With this result, Qatar secured second place in Group B, trailing the United Arab Emirates, who had earlier claimed a 4-0 victory over Yemen. Looking ahead, Qatar is set to face Yemen in their next group encounter, while Bahrain will go up against the UAE.