Gulf Cup 27: Qatar Beat Yemen 1-0 to Move Closer to Semi-Finals

Jeddah, September 27, 2026 : Qatar defeated Yemen 1-0 at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Saturday, recording their second consecutive victory in Group B of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup in Jeddah.

Yusuf Abdurisag scored the only goal of the match in the 64th minute, lifting Qatar to six points at the top of the group. They are provisionally three points clear of the United Arab Emirates, who face Bahrain later in the same round. The result leaves Qatar on the verge of a semi-final place.

Yemen suffered a second straight defeat and sit bottom of the group without a point. Their hopes of progressing have ended, regardless of the result of their final group match against Bahrain.

Qatar started strongly and nearly broke through inside the opening four minutes, when Akram Afif was played in by Abdurisag but was denied by Yemen goalkeeper Mohammed Aman. Despite Yemen sitting deep, Qatar kept creating chances. Hassan Al Haydos fired a powerful effort from the edge of the area in the 11th minute, and Aman saved again. Afif then missed two further opportunities, in the 19th minute from an Al Haydos pass and in the 23rd from a Homam Al Amin cross, and Aman denied him both times.

Yemen grew more threatening late in the first half. Their first meaningful chance came in the 39th minute, when Abdulwasea Al Matari's low shot was comfortably gathered by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abu Nada. In first-half stoppage time, Abdurisag broke into the area but fired over the crossbar, and the teams went into the interval goalless.

Qatar resumed with the same intensity and almost scored in the 47th minute, when Abdurisag redirected a Pedro Miguel cross toward goal, only for Aman to intervene once more. Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui then brought on Edmilson Junior and Ahmed Alaa to increase the pressure.

The breakthrough came in the 64th minute. Edmilson crossed into the area, and Abdurisag finished from close range to put Qatar ahead.

Qatar were awarded a penalty in the 73rd minute after Pedro Miguel was brought down by Yemen defender Hamza Mohammed, but Aman brilliantly saved Afif's spot-kick. The miss gave Yemen fresh belief, and substitute Nasser Mohammedou came close in the 84th minute, but his effort sailed over the bar.

Qatar held firm in the closing stages to secure the win and move closer to a semi-final berth from Group B.

Source: QNA