AFC Asian Cup: goalless China on brink of exit following Qatar defeat, Aleksandar Jankovic’s team fail to exploit hosts’ changes
- Hasan Al-Haydos strikes goal-of-tournament contender to flatten China
- Jankovic’s team fail to score for third successive match, but retain slim chance of progress
China are on the brink of an embarrassing AFC Asian Cup finals group stage exit following a 1-0 defeat by much-changed – and already qualified – hosts Qatar.
A match devoid of quality and urgency was lit up by a glorious deciding strike from Hasan Al-Haydos midway through the second half on Monday night. The Qatar captain was introduced, along with tournament top-scorer Akram Afif, after 64 minutes, as Qatar head coach Marquez Lopez grew impatient with his plodding second string.
Afif grabbed set-piece duties when Qatar won a corner two minutes later, flighting the dead ball to Al-Haydos, standing all alone on the edge of the D.
Al-Haydos – like Afif, a member of Qatar’s 2019 Asian Cup-winning team – connected with a gorgeous, technically perfect volley that screamed past China goalkeeper Yan Junling.
There was nothing on the match for Qatar, who sealed top spot in this group of dearth with victory over Tajikistan last Wednesday, but their substitutes and coaching staff rushed onto the field, overtaken by disbelieving excitement.
