11 Nov 2019
Doha, 10 November 2019. Qatar’s U19 national team, comprised of student-athletes of Aspire Academy and coached by former Qatar national team player Fabio Montezine, held off a fast-finishing Yemen to qualify for the AFC U-19 Championship Uzbekistan 2020 Finals as Group B winners after a thrilling 1-1 draw on Monday.
The group hosts had goalkeeper Yousef Abdullah to thank for their success, after his brilliant penalty save denied Yemen’s Mohammed Abdulwahab Al Thulaia a would-be winner late in the second half. Yemen’s haul of seven points gives them a chance to qualify as one of the four best second-place finishers, while Turkmenistan, who beat Sri Lanka 4-2 in the early match, finished third.
Qatar held on to secure the draw they needed to win the group on goal difference, after their earlier wins over Sri Lanka (5-1) and Turkmenistan (4-1).
The 2020 AFC U-19 Championship to be held in Uzbekistan next year from October 14 to 31.