Stunning free kick sends Qatar into Asian Cup quarter-finals

ABU DHABI — Qatar wrestled its way past Iraq into the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup on Tuesday when a stunning free kick from the son of a former Iraqi international gave it a 1-0 victory at Al Nahyan Stadium.

Defender Bassam Al Rawi, whose father Hisham played for Iraq in the 1990s, found the net in the 62nd minute to decide a scrappy contest in favour of the 2022 World Cup host and set up a date with South Korea across town at Zayed Sports City on Friday.

Iraq, the 2007 champion, gave its all but paid the price for failing to take chances and departed the continental tournament before the quarter-final stage for the first time since 1972. 

Because of the current political and economic rift between the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, Iraq was cheered on by a noisy majority of the 14,000 crowd in the boutique ground, with barely a handful supporting the Maroons.

Qatar, which scored 10 goals and conceded none in the group stage, made the brighter start and left back Abdelkarim Hassan hit the bar in the fourth minute.

That was pretty much the extent of their threat on goal until he had a shot deflected onto the post just before the break, though, as the Qataris were muscled out of the game in midfield.

Iraq fared little better at the other end with Mohanad Ali having their best chance of breaking the deadlock in the 23rd minute as the 2007 champions started to make some progress with the ball over the top of the Qatari defence.

The young striker raced through on goal, but Saad Al Sheeb bravely dived at his feet, with the goalkeeper getting a boot to the face for his efforts.

A defensive error put Qatar winger Akram Afif through early in the second half but his touch woefully betrayed him, and the ball trickled harmlessly to Iraq keeper Jalal Hassan.

It was a foul on the dangerous Afif on the lefthand corner of the box that led to the breakthrough just after the hour mark, Bassam stepping up and curling the ball over the wall and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

The Qataris were charged with confidence by the goal and poured forward to pepper Hassan's goal with shots in the next 10 minutes before Iraq regained their grip on the midfield.

Iraq defender Ali Adnan went close to matching Bassam's effort from a free kick slightly further out in the 78th minute and twice Iraqi forwards flashed headers wide as they lay siege to the Qatar goal in the last few minutes.

But the Qataris held them out to register a fourth clean sheet in four matches at the tournament, almost outnumbering their small band of fans when they celebrated with them at the end.