The two most exciting Asian sides faced off in a nail-biting encounter. Qatar secured a tremendous 3-2 triumph over Uzbekistan at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (Al-Sadd Stadium) in the AFC third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The hosts spoiled the ambitions of resilient visitors who staged an incredible comeback in the second half after going down 2-0 in the initial 45 minutes thanks to Lucas Mendes’s late winners during the added time to seal all three points and hand Ubzebektisan their first defeat in the third round of Qualifers.
For Qatar, Almoez Ali netted a brace, combining with Akram Afif. In response, the 21-year-old Uzbekistan International and rising star Abbosbek Fayzullayev also scored twice through two headed goals. However, Qatar stunned the Central Asians by denying them a fourth victory.
Following the result, after five matches, the Asian champions are now sitting in fourth place with 7 points. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan is second with 10 points, only behind heavyweights Iran in the Group A points table of the AFC World Qualifers.
Qatar National Football Team Player Ratings vs Uzbekistan
Goalkeeper
Meshaal Barsham (7/10)
He made some decent saves in the first 45 minutes however, in the latter half fumbled two goals in quick succession.
Defenders
Boualem Khoukhi (6.5/10)
The centre-back had a good game but loose defending in small moments gave Uzbeks attackers to score twice to equalise and assisted Mendes for the winner.
Lucas Mendes (8/10)
Mendes was playing a high line, nonetheless, the highlight of his outings will easily be the late-winning goals he smashed with his left foot.
Tarek Salman (6.5/10)
The 26-year-old was confident in ball playing from the back though, he could have done more in defence.
Bassam Al-Rawi (6.5/10)
Bassam was solid defensively and recorded 42 touches while playing 6 passes into attacking third but also lost possession at times.
Midfielders
Mohammed Waad (6/10)
He was active in defensive work making 6 clearances and 3 interceptions alongwith three passes into the final third.
Ibrahim Al-Hassan (7/10)
Al Hassan was heavily involved in Qatar’s midfield taking 72 touches across the middle and even had shot on target.
Ahmed Fathi (6.5/10)
He played the entire duration of the match making 5 recoveries and picked up a yellow card for his nuisance on the pitch.
Akram Afif (8/10)
Afif started on the left wing and drifted into the centre outside of the box playing more of a creative and playmaking role and provided two assists both to Almoez Ali.
Forwards
Ahmed Al Ganehi (7/10)
He kept two out of his three shots on target and attempted a successful dribble creating a threat to Ubzek’s backline.
Almoez Ali (9/10)
Almoez Ali broke the deadlock to give Qatar the lead following a right-footed finish in front of the goal to pass through the legs of the keeper to clear the goal line and double the lead getting at the end of Afif’s set piece delivery in the box.
Substitute
Abdulaziz Hatem (6/10)
Abdullah Al-Yazidi (6/10)
Yusuf Abdurisag (N/A)
Mohammed Muntari (N/A)
Manager
Marquez Lopez (8/10)
His team dominated the game up until the 45-minute mark going into the second half with a two-goal cushion. However, Qatar seemed to have adopted a more defensive approach to protect the lead and ended up giving away goals. This Victory will surely boost their morale to push more such performance ahead in Qualifers.
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Uzbekistan National Football Team Player Ratings vs Qatar
Goalkeeper
Utkir Yusupov (4/10)
He had a busy evening in goal making five saves, but could not prevent Qatar from scoring three goals including a heartbreaking winner in the closing seconds.
Defenders
Khusniddin Alikulov (7/10)
Khusniddin was fine in duels and made a brilliant last-man tackle to disrupt the Qatari attack.
Abdukodir Khusanov (7.5/10)
He was brilliant in putting in accurate tackles maintaining precision in ball playing also in delivering long balls from the back.
Abdulla Abdullaev (6/10)
Abdullaev must be taking notes from his performance tonight lost possession on several occasions and sat back mostly in defence.
Midfielders
Khoziakbar Alidzhanov (7.8/10)
He was firing on the right flank with his attacking qualities, constantly going up and creating the chance for Fayzullayev for the head with a looping cross from the right side.
Odildzhon Khamrobekov (7/10)
Khamrobekov played a commanding role in the midfield and created two big chances for his team but also lost the ball on two occasions.
Otabek Shukurov (7/10)
Despite picking up a knock on the knee, he showed his resilient nature by playing 65 minutes in the match and was good enough in his role.
Sherzod Nasrulloev (5.5/10)
The Uzbek left-back needs to refine the accuracy of his crosses and besides that, he had a fair game.
Forwards
Azizbek Turgunbaev (6.5/10)
He gave away possession cheaply playing as a right winger, the only notable contribution of his game was a left-footed strike that caused trouble for Qatari keeper Barsham.
Eldor Shomurodov (5/10)
Ubzebk captain Shomurodov looked emotional while going off in the 21st minute due to injury which forced him to cut short his outing. Jaloliddin Masharipov steps in on his position.
Abbosbek Fayzullayev (8.5/10)
The 21-year-old showed his unwavering fighting spirit and pulled back his side following the spectacular brace in just five minutes, unfortunately, they conceded a last-minute goal that undermined his work.
Substitute
Jaloliddin Masharipov (7.5/10)
Bobur Abdikhalikov (6.5/10)
Farrukh Sayfiev (6/10)
Jamshid Iskandarov (6.5/10)
Manager
Srecko Katanec (7.5/10)
His side responded in strong manners and fought back vigorously in the second half forcing Qatar to sit back and defend while rotating the ball and possession swiftly down the line and creating numerous opportunities from the wide zones. Due to their attacking reply, Qatar ended up conceding two goals, but the lapse in concentration and a bit of misfortune in the final few seconds took the game away from their reach.
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FAQs
Q. What was the result of Qatar vs Uzbekistan?
A. Qatar defeated Uzbekistan with a 3-2 scoreline on home soil.
Q. When was Qatar vs Uzbekistan?
A. Qatar vs Uzbekistan match was played on Thursday, 14th November 2024.
Q. Who was the worst performer in Qatar vs Uzbekistan?
A. Utkir Yusupov (Uzbekistan) was the worst performer in Qatar vs Uzbekistan.
Q. Who was the man of the match in Qatar vs Uzbekistan?
A. Akram Afif (Qatar) was the man of the match in Qatar vs Uzbekistan.