(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Chinthana Wasala / The Peninsula
Akram Afif scored twice in the first half and Almoez Ali added a third as Qatar overcame hosts Iraq 3-2 at a packed Basra Stadium in the opening fixture of the Tri-nation Friendship Tournament yesterday.
The brief football series is being organised by Iraq Football Association (IFA) to celebrate the return of football to Basra for the first time in three decades.
Afif earned Al Annabi the lead in the 17th minute when he directed the ball to the bottom left corner of the net with a right footed shot from the centre of the box after receiving a cross from Yousef Hassan.
In the very next minute, Afif almost doubled Qatar's lead but the ball flew inches away from the goal post.
The hosts found an equalizer when Ahmed Yasin scored from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner in the 32nd minute.
Afif once again put Qatar on top when he shot right into the net from 30 yards to beat Iraqi goalkeeper in injury time to give his side a 2-1 lead just before the end of the first half.
When the second half began, Qatar continued to dominate the proceedings despite more than 65,000 supporters cheering in support of the home team.
In the 63rd minute, Al Duhail forward Ali netted another goal from close range to the bottom left corner of the net after picking up the ball from skipper Hasan Al Haydos to give Qatar a 3-1 lead.
Four minutes later, Iraqi midfielder Hussein Ali reduced the goal deficit with a right-footed shot from close range to the top right corner as a Qatari player slipped and failed to stop the ball.
Qatari players were shown two yellow cards (Saad Al Sheeb - 83' and Pedro Miguel 54') during the course of the game.
The hosts were giving their best effort to find a late equaliser, but coach Felix Sanchez's boys were the worthy winners of the opening fixture of the tournament.
Qatar take on Syria on March 24.
Victory against Iraq a satisfying result: Al Rawi
BASRA: Qatar defender Bassam Al Rawi on Wednesday said Al Anabi's fighting 3-2 win over hosts Iraq was a satisfying result.
Yesterday, Akram Afifi scored a double as Qatar - coached by Felix Sanchez - powered to an impressive 3-2 win on day one of the Three-Nation International Friendly Tournament.
The event is being hosted by Iraq Football Association (IFA) which is celebrating return of football to the country after more than three decades.
Qatar closed the first half at 2-1 and then added one more at a packed Basra Stadium.
'It is a great result for us. We wanted to win and we reached our target, Al Rawi said. 'It is a big day for football in Iraq and we are happy to be here, he added.
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