Qatar's Mohamed Mousa, Hassan al-Haydos and Abdulkarim Hassan celebrate their team's first goal against Singapore yesterday. At right, Qatar coach Jose Daniel Carreno gesture during the match.
Sports Reporter/Doha
Qatar geared up for their World Cup qualifier against Bhutan on September 3 with a placid 4-0 victory over Singapore in an international friendly at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha last night.
Although the fully climate-controlled open stadium was a comforting factor against the searing 95F heat and 75% humidity outside, the players from both teams took a cautious approach, hardly going all out in front of a few dozen spectators, most of them, ironically, Singaporean.
Qatar are ranked 95th in the world against Singapore’s 155th but the visitors hung on gamely and didn’t concede a goal in the first half despite being put under tremendous pressure.
Goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud excelled with a couple of brilliant saves, but the floodgates opened when he was substituted with Hassan Sunny in the second half during which Qatar also raised their game a few notches.
Mohamed Mousa opened the scoring for the hosts in the 57th minute with a well-controlled shot from close after receiving a pass from Abdulkarim Hassan, and from thereon it was Qatar all the way.
With the Singaporeans hardly coming up with a threatening move, it was inevitable that Qatar would score again, and they consolidated in the 69th minute through Mohamed Muntari whose header off a Hassan al-Haydos pass hit the crosspiece before dipping in.
Ten minutes later, al-Haydos scored from close with a delicate chip over goalkeeper Sunny after cutting in from the right following a pass by Mousa.Ismail Mohamed then completed the rout in the 89th minute with a shot to the goalkeeper’s right off a Muntari pass.
Qatar had been preparing for the World Cup qualifiers in Europe and their efforts seemed to have paid off.
“It was a good effort by the players. We now have a fair idea about how to go about our business during the coming matches,” said coach Jose Daniel Carreno.
Singapore only had 34% ball possession and suffered yet again against a Middle Eastern nation. In their past 11 matches against teams in the region, they have only one win – a 2-1victory over Syria in 2013.
"Qatar are definitely the better team. We need a good defensive shape and to hit them on the counter,” Singapore coach Bernd Stange was quoted as saying before the match.
With the defence failing and the midfield and forwardline also shaky, the German surely has his task cut out if Singapore are to make an impact in the qualifiers.
