DOHA: Lucas Mendes scored deep into injury time as Qatar secured a last-gasp 3-2 win over Uzbekistan at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Thursday to revitalize their challenge in Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 for a place at the FIFA World Cup Finals.
Mendes struck with 12 added minutes on the clock after Abbosbek Fayzullaev looked to have earned the visitors a point with a pair of headers that had cancelled out Almoez Ali’s first half brace for Lopez Marquez’s side.
The result moves Qatar up to seven points from five matches and to within three of Uzbekistan, who remain in second place in the group but are now three behind the Iran following their 3-2 win over North Korea earlier in the day.
It was AFC Player of the Year Akram Afif who set Ali up in the 25th minute to open the scoring, rolling the ball into the striker’s path at the end of a break and, while Utkir Yusupov made contact with the shot, there was enough pace on the ball to take it over the line.
Fayzullaev was denied an equaliser 10 minutes later when Qatar goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham denied the winger with a smart stop and before long the visitors were ruing that miss.
Because, with four minutes left in the half, the Afif-Ali combination paid off again to allow the hosts to double their advantage.
Afif curled a low ball invitingly towards the edge of the six yard box from a free kick 25 yards from goal and Ali emerged from between two Uzbekistan defenders to leave Yusupov helpless once more.
Azizbek Turgunboev thought he had pulled one back for Uzbekistan a minute before the interval when he unleashed a strike that was destined for the top corner, only for Barsham to spectacularly tip the ball over the bar.
Otabek Shukurov dragged his improvised effort with his heel wide from the edge of the area as Uzbekistan sought a way back into the game in the opening exchanges of the second half and Bibur Abdiholiqov went even closer as he hit the post from distance.
Afif should have killed off the game in the 71st minute but his weak effort was easily dealt with by Yusupov and, with 15 minutes remaining, the unmarked Fayzullaev threw himself at Khojiakbar Alijonov’s inviting cross from the right to halve the deficit.
Five minutes later Fayzullaev struck again, this time nodding home Jaloliddin Masharipov’s cross to spark scenes of jubilation on the Uzbekistan bench.
But there was more drama to come with Mendes smashing his late shot in via the post to win the points for Qatar.Up next for Qatar are the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday while Uzbekistan will face North Korea.
