The UAE staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Qatar 3-1 in their AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 Group A match at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Thursday.
Qatar dominated early, and their persistence paid off in the 38th minute when Akram Afif set up Ibrahim Al Hassan, who fired a powerful shot into the bottom corner. The second half, however, saw UAE gradually take control. Harib Abdalla equalized in the 68th minute, followed by Khaled Aldhanhani’s strike in the 80th minute to give the UAE the lead.
Substitute Ali Saleh sealed the victory in stoppage time, capitalizing on a defensive error to score UAE’s third goal, completing their impressive comeback.