Qatar wins over Tajikistan and qualifies for the second round

Host and defending champion Qatar qualified for the second round after defeating Tajikistan 1-0 on Wednesday at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, in the second round of the first Group competitions in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.

Akram Afif scored the valuable winning goal for the Qatari team in the 17th minute of the match.

The Tajikistan national team completed the match with ten players after midfielder Amadoni Kamalov was sent off in the 81st minute.

The Qatari team moved away at the top of the group standings with 6 points from two matches, compared to 2 points for China, and a point each for Tajikistan and Lebanon. The Qatar national team secured the top spot in the group and qualified for the round of 16.

The third and final round of the group’s competitions will be held on Monday, January 22, when Qatar will meet China at Khalifa International Stadium, and Tajikistan will meet Lebanon at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.

On Saturday, the first round witnessed Qatar’s victory over Lebanon 3-0, and China tied with Tajikistan 0-0.

The top two teams in each group qualify for the round of 16, along with the four best third-placed teams.