Qatar beat Yemen 1-0 in Jeddah as goalkeeper Mohammed Aman saves penalty

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JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Qatar beat Yemen 1-0 at the Arabian Gulf Cup on Sunday, taking a semi-final place as Yemen’s goalkeeper saved a penalty.

Yusuf Abdurisag scored in the 64th minute at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.

The move came down Qatar’s left. Sultan al-Brake crossed, Edmilson Junior turned the ball back across the goalmouth, and Abdurisag finished from close range.

Qatar had been kept out until then by Mohammed Aman. The Yemen goalkeeper denied Akram Afif four times before the break.

Aman stopped Afif again in the 73rd minute, saving a penalty awarded after Pedro Miguel was fouled by Hamza Mohammed.

Qatar ended the night on six points from two matches, enough for a place in the last four.

The United Arab Emirates went through from the same group after beating Bahrain 3-0.

Those results put Yemen and Bahrain out of the tournament with one round of group matches still to play.

Yemen has no points. The team lost its opening match 4-0 to the United Arab Emirates on 24 September and sits bottom of Group B.

“We wanted to make amends, and we tried and gave everything,” Yemen coach Noureddine Ould Ali said after the match.

He said conditions had worked against both sides. “Fatigue and humidity were among the reasons for the defeat, and they affected both teams, and one of our players was taken to hospital,” he said.

Ould Ali declined to fault the officiating. “Adham Makhadmeh is a respectable referee, and mistakes happen everywhere,” he said, adding that he would leave the question to refereeing experts and analysts.

He said his side had improved on its opening performance. “Our level was better than in the first match, and we will try in the final match to deliver a good level,” he said.

Ould Ali congratulated Qatar on the win and on qualifying, and asked for patience at home. “I hope the Yemeni media will encourage the players and offer them support, for we are one system,” he said.

Both coaches had called the fixture a hard one before kick-off. “We expect a tough match against Yemen,” Lopetegui said, describing it as a very important match for his side.

Sultan al-Brake said Qatar was looking for victory and the three points.

Ould Ali said beforehand that Yemen was striving to be fully prepared after the defeat to the United Arab Emirates.

Yemen forward Rami al-Wasmani said the squad wanted to change the image it had left against the United Arab Emirates.

Qatar’s opening win came against Bahrain, which held the title going into the tournament.

Qatar had the better of the first half. Afif was played through in the fourth minute and Aman saved.

Hassan al-Haydos struck from the edge of the area in the 11th minute. Aman saved that too.

Afif shot again in the 19th minute after a pass from al-Haydos, and in the 23rd from a cross by Homam al-Amin. Aman held both.

Yemen’s first attempt came in the 39th minute, when Abdulwasea al-Matari shot low at Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abu Nada.

Abdurisag put the ball over the bar in first-half stoppage time. The sides went in level.

Pedro Miguel crossed for Abdurisag in the 47th minute and Aman cleared. Julen Lopetegui, the Qatar manager, then brought on Edmilson Junior and Ahmed Alaa.

Edmilson set up the goal 17 minutes later.

Yemen pushed for an equaliser after the penalty. Substitute Nasser Mohammedou shot over in the 84th minute.

Qatar has won both its matches. It opened with a 2-0 win over Bahrain.

Saudi Arabia also reached the semi-finals on Sunday, ending the second round on six points from two wins in Group A. Iraq beat Kuwait 3-0 in the opening round on 23 September.

The last round of group games is on Wednesday. Qatar plays the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen plays Bahrain.

Bahrain came into the tournament as the holder and is out at the group stage.

Yemen has never reached the semi-finals of the Gulf Cup.

The team first entered the competition in the 2003-04 edition, when it finished seventh.

Its only win in the tournament came on 28 December 2024, a 2-1 result against Bahrain at the 26th edition. Wednesday’s opponent is that same side.

Yemen stands 145th in the FIFA world ranking published on 20 July 2026.

Ould Ali has coached the team since 2024.

Yemen is required to play its home fixtures at neutral venues because of the civil war.

The 27th Arabian Gulf Cup began on 23 September and runs to 6 October. Saudi Arabia is hosting it in Jeddah.

Eight members of the Gulf Football Federation are taking part. Group A holds Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Kuwait. Group B holds the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Yemen.

The top two in each group reach the semi-finals. Knockout ties are decided by extra time, and by a penalty shootout if the sides are still level.

Two grounds in the city are being used. King Abdullah Sports City holds 62,345 people. Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Sports City holds 27,000.

Yemen is appearing at the tournament for the 12th time.