KUWAIT, Dec 21 (KUNA) -- Qatar's national football team drew with the Emirati team 1-1 on Saturday in the first match in Group stage of the Arabian Gulf Cup (Khaleeji Zain 26).
The Qatari player Akram Afif started scoring with a penalty kick in the 17th minute. The UAE team's did not surrender and pressed till player Yahya Al-Ghassani scored the equalizer in the 46th minute.
The UAE team dominated the second half of the match and reached the Qatari goal several times but failed to score thanks to the tight Qatari defense.
Both teams earned their first point in the tournament, equaling the Kuwaiti and Omani teams who tied with the same score earlier today.
The second round of the group will be played on Tuesday when the Qatari team faces its Omani counterpart at Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah Stadium, while the Kuwaiti team meets its Emirati counterpart at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium. (end) sad.ibi