Qatar beat Mexico to reach quarter-finals of Gold Cup football

Qatar National Football Team (USA Today Sports)

Qatar upset Mexico 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Jamaica also qualified for the last eight from Group A with ease, behind the USA, after beating St Kitts and Nevis 5-0 on Sunday in Santa Clara, California.

In Group B, Qatar shocked already-qualified Mexico to qualify in second place, denying Honduras, who were eliminated despite beating Haiti 2-1.

Qatar, who are playing for the second time as a guest team in the tournament for North and Central America and the Caribbean, survived a second-half onslaught from Mexico to pull off a famous victory.

The 2022 World Cup hosts, coached by Carlos Queiroz from Portugal, took the lead in the 27th minute when Musaab Khidir whipped in a cross from the right and Hazem Shehata found the target with an angled header.

That proved to be the only real effort on goal from the Gulf side as Mexico dominated but could not find a way through.

Santiago Gimenez, who had survived a red card review for a swinging arm on a Qatari defender, fired wide from a promising position and then Edson Alvarez headed against the post.

Deep in stoppage time, Israel Reyes had another chance to level – and help Honduras into the knockout stage – but his header was also off target.

Qatar, the reigning Asian champions, reached the semifinals of the Gold Cup in their previous guest appearance two years ago.

Their victory meant Honduras’s comeback win against Haiti was in vain, an agonising outcome for the Central American side, whose players waited on the field as Qatar clung on.

(ALJAZEERA)