Shafaqna English- The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 semi final on Wednesday (07 Feb. 2024) will witness defending champions Qatar going up against the Islamic Republic of Iran. This comes after Marquez Lopes’ team secured a 3-2 victory over Uzbekistan in a penalty shoot out at Al-Bayt Stadium on Saturday, following a 1-1 draw, AFC reported.
Goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham made crucial saves during penalty shootouts against Rustamjon Ashurmatov, Zafarmurod Abdirakhmatov, and Jaloliddin Masharipov. This brilliant performance allowed Pedro Correia to step up and secure the winning penalty, propelling the hosts into the semi-finals.
The Qataris secured victory in a shoot out after initially taking the lead in the 27th minute with captain Hassan Al-Haydos’ shot from a difficult angle and Utkir Yusupov unintentionally scoring an own goal. However, Odiljon Hamrobekov equalized in the 58th minute with a powerful shot.
Source: AFC