IKOLI VICTOR

DOHA QATAR opened the final round of its campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup football on a winning note with a 1-0 away victory over Lebanon in Sunday’s Group A of Asian Zone qualifiers at the Sports City Stadium in Beirut.

Sebastian Soria scored the only goal of the match in the 64th minute picking up a dreadful back pass from Lebanon’s Ramez Dayoub, which left everyone in the Lebanese defence on the wrong foot. He swooped in on the ball, dribbled it past goalkeeper Ziad el Samad and shot the it into an empty net.

The result takes Qatar to the top of the group with three points, same as Iran that scored a dramatic winner with the last kick of its match with Uzbekistan. Iran snatched the 1-0 win in Tashkent in the tie. Qatar will now play South Korea in Doha on June 8
Going into the match, the Lebanese were one of the surprise packages in the third round, recording a victory over heavyweights South Korea on its way to this stage.

Qatar had remained unbeaten in its six games of the previous stage.

The match started with Lebanon’s Hassan Maatouk having the first sniff of goal when his shot from outside the box was well covered by Qatar’s Qasem Burhan.

Five minutes later, Soria’s volley brought the best out of the opponent goalkeeper Ziad, who parried it with his right arm. Immediately after, Ziad made a pointblank save to stop Wesam Abdulmajid’s effort.

Soria was however booked in the 12th minute for rough play. In the 26th minute, Lebanese Abbas Ahmad’s effort beat Qatari goalie Burhan, but for the woodwork.

The rebound was picked up by Mattouk on the rebound.

His goal-bound shot was blocked Mohammed Kasola.

Qatar had more of the ball in the first half with the number of corner kicks and chances created.

The second half was another story, however.

Lebanon got off to a bright start, causing a few moments of panic in the Qatari area, but despite the scramble Qatar got off lightly.