Qatar Beat South Korea to Qualify for AFC Asian Cup Semifinals

Abu Dhabi, January 25 (QNA) - Qatar defeated South Korea 1-0 in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup at Zayed City Sports Stadium in Abu Dhabi to qualify for the first time ever to the semifinals. Abdulaziz Hatim scored the match only goal to seal the victory for the Qatari team. Qatar will take on the winner of the UAE and Australia in the semifinal. The Qatari team won all their three-group stage matches before they defeated Iraq in the round of 16. Qatar kept clean sheet in all their five matches at the Asian Cup. After a first half lacking in clear-cut chances and including only one shot on target, South Korea began to look the most likely to break the deadlock and Lee Chung-yong spurned a good chance from close range when goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb flapped at a cross, Goal.com reported. Son Heung-min fashioned an opening in the penalty area only to shoot tamely at Al Sheeb, before Kim Jin-su clipped the outside of the post with a free-kick. Qatar seized a shock lead a minute later after that reprieve, Hatim firing home a superb strike from long range that curled away from Kim Seung-gyu and into the bottom-left corner of the goalkeeper's net. Hwan Ui-jo thought he had leveled barely two minutes later but the offside flag saved Qatar, despite a VAR review. Boualem Khoukhi's brilliant bicycle kick was well saved by Kim Seung-gyu before Paulo Bento's men launched a last desperate push for an equalizer, with Khoukhi breathing a sigh of relief when he deflected a header inches wide of his own goal before the final whistle triggered huge Qatar celebrations. (QNA)