JEDDAH: Mahmoud Alaswad’s late penalty secured Syria a 1-0 victory over Qatar in their AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Group B clash on Saturday, keeping their quarter-final hopes alive.
The win moved Syria level on three points with the United Arab Emirates, with the two sides set to meet on Tuesday to decide who advances alongside defending champions Japan.
The contest began quietly, though Syria carved out early openings. Muhannad Fadel was denied in the 20th minute after Mohamed Khaled was dispossessed inside his own box, while Dahhan later intercepted a poor defensive pass but fired straight at Qatar goalkeeper Amir Katoul.
Qatar threatened briefly before the break when Rashid Al-Abdulla powered into the area, only for Maksim Sarraf to parry his effort away.
Syria dominated after halftime, with Katoul forced into a sharp save from Alaswad and Mohammad Almustafa twice curling efforts narrowly wide. The pressure finally told in the 85th minute when Ayoub Aloui fouled Almustafa in the box and was sent off, allowing Alaswad to convert the decisive penalty and seal the points.
