Qatar secured a 2-0 win over Bahrain in their opening match of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah. The victory on Thursday marked a strong start for Qatar against the defending champions.
The game remained goalless until the 61st minute when Boualem Khoukhi scored with a header from an Akram Afif free-kick, giving Qatar the lead. The match took a challenging turn for Qatar in the 70th minute when Ahmed Fathi was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, reducing the team to 10 players.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Qatar managed to maintain their lead as Bahrain pushed for an equalizer. In the ninth minute of stoppage time, Hassan Al Haydos sealed the victory for Qatar by converting a penalty after he was fouled inside the box.
The win places Qatar second in Group B, trailing the United Arab Emirates, who earlier defeated Yemen 4-0. Qatar is set to face Yemen in their next group match, while Bahrain will take on the UAE.