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AFC.com
Jakarta
Ali Saleh produced a virtuoso performance as he helped the United Arab Emirates begin their AFC U-19 Championship campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Qatar on Thursday.
The talented 18-year-old produced a deft assist and a superb goal to hand his side the perfect start to their Group A campaign with games against Chinese Taipei and host nation Indonesia, who meet in the day's later fixture, still to come for head coach Ludovic Batelli's charges.
After a bright start in sultry conditions, Qatar fashioned the first chance of the game, midfielder Abdollah Ali fizzing a shot narrowly wide of the target with four minutes played.
Despite Qatar's early dominance, it was to be the UAE who went ahead on 16 minutes when Saleh's clever pass found Ahmad Fawzi who fired the ball home past the despairing dive of goalkeeper Zakaria Salah.
Qatar, champions in 2014, responded well to the setback with first Nasser Abdulsalam failing to find the target when well placed and then livewire forward Abdulrasheed Umaru forcing Suhail Abdulla into a smart save at his near post.
Their persistence paid handsome dividends in the 36th minute as Umaru scrambled the ball home at the far post following a Mohammed Waad corner that the Emirati defence failed to clear.
Not to be outdone however, the UAE regained the lead with four minutes to play of an entertaining first half, this time Al Wasl rising star Saleh picking himself up after he had been fouled on the edge of the area to bend a stunning free-kick into the top corner.
Eager to restore parity, Qatar prodded and probed throughout the opening moments of the second period but were nearly caught on the counter when Saleh began the move which eventually saw his 54th minute effort expertly turned behind for a corner by custodian Salah.
Umaru then prodded a shot narrowly over the UAE bar before a defensive lapse allowed Qatar's Hashim Ali to round Suhail Abdullah but send his shot wide of the target on 66 minutes.
With chances few and far between as the half wore on, the UAE's Mansoor Al Harbi was subsequently dismissed for a second bookable offence in the 85th minute, although it mattered little in the end as his side bravely hung on to seal all three points.
The UAE are next in action on Sunday when they play Chinese Taipei at the same venue ahead of Qatar's clash with Indonesia.
