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Afif’s strike secures draw for Qatar against UAE in Arabian Gulf Cup opener

KUWAIT CITY: Qatar opened their Arabian Gulf Cup 26 campaign with a 1-1 draw against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday at the Jaber Al-Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah Stadium. Akram Afif gave Qatar an early lead with a well-taken first-half goal, but UAE’s Yahya al-Ghassani equalized just before halftime to ensure the spoils were shared.

The match marked the debut of Qatar’s new coach, Luis Garcia, who received a yellow card from the referee during the second half for dissent. Despite the draw, Qatar midfielder Tareq Salman expressed optimism after the game: “It was a fighting match for us. Thank God, we managed a good result. We had chances to score more goals. I think we dominated the match.”

In another Group A match on Saturday, hosts Kuwait also settled for a 1-1 draw against Oman, setting the stage for a competitive start to the tournament.

Qatar will look to build on their performance as they continue their quest for Gulf Cup glory under Garcia’s leadership.(Gulf Times)

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