Bahrain qualifies for Gulf Cup semifinals after holding Qatar to a 1-1 draw

There was heartbreak for defending champions Qatar as despite playing well, they still failed to qualify for the semifinal stage of the Gulf Cup football tournament in Kuwait.

They held Bahrain to a 1-1 draw, but it was not enough for them to make it to the knock-out semifinal stage. Meanwhile Bahrain, who needed only a draw to progress, will play Oman on January 2. Iraq will battle UAE in the other semifinal, reported Gulf Times.

A second-half strike by Ali Jafaar (58th minute) helped Bahrain get the much-needed point to finish above Qatar. For Qatar, their goal was scored off a penalty kick by striker and captain Hassan Al Haydos in injury time of the first half, reported The Peninsula.

Bahrain finished the Group B standings with five points while Iraq sealed the top position with a 3-0 win over Yemen. Qatar finished in third place with 4 points from three matches. Yemen ended the tournament without a win.

Qatar had opened the tournament with a 4-0 win over Yemen but lost to Iraq 1-2.

Picture courtesy: The Peninsula