Qatar edge South Korea to keep World Cup hopes alive

DOHA, June 14 (Xinhua) — World Cup 2022 hosts Qatar beat South Korea 3-2 on Tuesday to keep their hopes alive of reaching next year’s finals in Russia.

Qatar now stands five points behind third-place Uzbekistan and will need to win both their final games in Group A — and hopes Uzbekistan lose both — to stand a chance of qualifying.

Meanwhile, South Korea remains a point ahead of Uzbekistan in the race for the automatic second qualifying spot in the group.

The team that finishes third will enter a playoff over two legs for a place in Russia.

Qatar largely owed its victory to the shining performance of Hassan Al-Haydos and young forward Akram Afif.

Al Haydos put Qatar on the board in the 25th on a free kick, set up after a South Korean turnover.

Afif scored Qatar’s second in the 51st minute, but the home side’s fragile defence could not stand firm.

Goals from South Korea’s Ki Sung-Yueng and Hwang Hee-Chan in the 62nd and 69th minute seemed to have secured South Korea a valuable point in their attempt to get to Russia, but fine work from Brazilian-born Rodrigo Tabata set up Al-Haydos for a 74th-minute winner.