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Ahmed starts Qatar party with win over China
January 13, 2011, Thursday
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Online Edition
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TWO first-half goals from striker Yusef Ahmed sent Qatar on their way to a 2-0 win over China as the host nation finally joined their own Asian Cup party yesterday and began dreaming of a place in the quarter-finals.
Qatar took the lead after 27 minutes of their second Group A game when Ahmed scored the goal of the tournament so far at the Khalifa Stadium.
Collecting a lofted forward pass on his thigh, he smashed a swerving unstoppable volley into the roof of goalkeeper Zeng Cheng's net from the edge of the penalty area to send the crowd into raptures.
Ahmed made it 2-0 on the stroke of halftime when China's imposing captain Du Wei allowed him too much time to turn, shoot and, to his horror, score with a low hooked shot from almost the same place as his first goal. The victory moved Qatar level with China on three points. Uzbekistan lead with six points while Kuwait are bottom with none.
The mood could hardly have been more different than the almost funereal atmosphere during Friday's defeat to Uzbekistan when the crowd left in droves long before the end of the 2-0 defeat.
Coach Bruno Metsu, under intense pressure to avoid a second straight loss and keep his job, had promised the crowd a far better performance and his men responded with a confident and passionate display.
They could also have been two goals up before they went ahead. Sebastian Suria wasted an easy chance after 11 minutes, and Ahmed hit the side netting before he found the net with his superb strike.
Suria, working tirelessly and forming a good partnership with Ahmed, was unlucky not to do better with two more opportunities, the second after 65 minutes flying wide after an ambitious shot on the run.
China, who beat Kuwait 2-0 in their opening game, rarely threatened to score and their night was best summed up when Rong Hao fired a free-kick hopelessly high and wide from more than 30 meters out just before the end.
Qatar took the lead after 27 minutes of their second Group A game when Ahmed scored the goal of the tournament so far at the Khalifa Stadium.
Collecting a lofted forward pass on his thigh, he smashed a swerving unstoppable volley into the roof of goalkeeper Zeng Cheng's net from the edge of the penalty area to send the crowd into raptures.
Ahmed made it 2-0 on the stroke of halftime when China's imposing captain Du Wei allowed him too much time to turn, shoot and, to his horror, score with a low hooked shot from almost the same place as his first goal. The victory moved Qatar level with China on three points. Uzbekistan lead with six points while Kuwait are bottom with none.
The mood could hardly have been more different than the almost funereal atmosphere during Friday's defeat to Uzbekistan when the crowd left in droves long before the end of the 2-0 defeat.
Coach Bruno Metsu, under intense pressure to avoid a second straight loss and keep his job, had promised the crowd a far better performance and his men responded with a confident and passionate display.
They could also have been two goals up before they went ahead. Sebastian Suria wasted an easy chance after 11 minutes, and Ahmed hit the side netting before he found the net with his superb strike.
Suria, working tirelessly and forming a good partnership with Ahmed, was unlucky not to do better with two more opportunities, the second after 65 minutes flying wide after an ambitious shot on the run.
China, who beat Kuwait 2-0 in their opening game, rarely threatened to score and their night was best summed up when Rong Hao fired a free-kick hopelessly high and wide from more than 30 meters out just before the end.
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