2012 Olympic Football Qualifiers: Qatar Face Saudi Arabia Today

Doha, February 22 (QNA) - A confident Qatar outfit face Saudi Arabia Wednesday evening in the Asian Zone 2012 London Olympic Games football qualifying matches at Al Sadd Stadium here. The hosts need to win to remain in contention for the sole play-off place in the Asian zone 2012 Olympic Games qualifiers, English-language daily The Peninsula reported today. Qatar are placed third in Group A, behind leaders Korea Republic and Oman, as the teams head into the final round of matches. The 2022 world Cup hosts have three points from four matches while Saudi Arabia's card shows two from four matches. A win for Saudi Arabia will also keep them in the running for the lone play-off spot regardless of the result in Muscat today, where Korea Republic clash with Oman. With only the three group winners securing a ticket to London later this year, the three second placed finishers from each group will play-off in Vietnam at the end of March for the right to meet Senegal for a trip to the Olympic Games. Korea Republic can secure qualification for the 2012 Olympic Games with victory over Oman in Muscat. Oman currently sit four points clear of Qatar. Korea maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign after Kim Bo-kyung scored in stoppage time to rescue a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia at the start of February, while Qatar shared a 2-2 draw with Oman in Doha. With a seventh consecutive appearance at the Olympic Games within touching distance, Hong Myung-Bo's Korea know three points at Al Seeb Sports Stadium would establish an unassailable lead over second-placed Oman in Group A with just one game remaining next month. Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, Syria and Japan will look to boost their own aspirations by picking up potentially valuable points. In Group C, Syria and Japan are locked together at the top of the table, with third-placed Bahrain just three points off the pace after Ahmad Al Salih snatched all three points for Syria against Japan earlier this month. Japan will look to get their campaign for a fifth consecutive appearance at the Olympic Games back on track when Takashi Sekizuka's side travel to Kuala Lumpur to face Malaysia, who have yet to pick up a point. Syria, meanwhile, face a tough trip to Manama to face Bahrain, who completed a run of back-to-back wins over Malaysia with a 2-1. (QNA)