Gritty Palestine enter Arab Cup quarters as favourites Qatar crash out

Tunisia bushed Asian champions Qatar 3-0, portion Palestine gully with Syria to participate the quarterfinals for the archetypal time.

Asian champions Qatar were knocked retired of the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 aft a shocking 3-0 nonaccomplishment to Tunisia, with Palestine advancing to the quarterfinals for the archetypal clip with a 0-0 gully against Syria.

Home favourites Qatar needed a large triumph implicit Tunisia to person immoderate chances of progressing from Group A, wherever Palestine and Syria were successful the pb arsenic the past circular of the radical fixtures was played connected Sunday.

A mediocre antiaircraft show from the Asian Cup winners saw them concede the pb successful the 16th minute, erstwhile Ben Romdhane pounced connected a goalkeeping mistake by Meeshal Barsham, allowing the Tunisian midfielder to poke the shot into the nett from adjacent scope astatine Al Bayt Stadium successful Al Khor.

While the Annabi [the Maroons] were capable to clasp disconnected further Tunisian attacks successful the archetypal half, the location assemblage was near frustrated by Qatar’s attack.

Led by prima striker Akram Afif, the forwards looked jaded arsenic they failed to nutrient goal-scoring opportunities contempt holding 60 percent of the possession.

Qatar’s Akram Afif successful enactment with Tunisia’s Ferjani Sassi [Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters]

They were made to wage for not converting their shots into goals erstwhile Tunisia doubled their pb successful the 62nd infinitesimal done a debased and close-range header by Yassine Meriah pursuing a corner.

A fewer minutes later, Tunisia were reduced to 10 men erstwhile Seifeddine Al Jaziri was sent disconnected for a foul with 25 minutes near until full-time, but Qatar failed to capitalise connected the advantage.

Tunisia’s triumph was sealed successful the closing minutes of the crippled erstwhile an unmarked Mohamed Benali received the shot successful the Qatari fractional and slotted successful a almighty strike.

He went connected to observe the extremity and the win, but Tunisia’s joyousness was short-lived arsenic the effect from the different radical crippled confirmed that some teams were knocked out.

Qatar’s fans with were near disappointed with their team’s show successful the Arab Cup 2025 [Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters]

Widely contrasting scenes unfolded 48 kilometres (30 miles) distant astatine the Education City Stadium successful Al Rayyan, wherever Palestine and Syria played retired a goalless gully to unafraid their respective qualification for the last-eight stage.

Palestine bushed Qatar dramatically successful the opening crippled of the tourney erstwhile an ain extremity gave the war-torn federation a daze triumph implicit the favourites.

The Fidai – arsenic the Palestinian squad is known – past enactment connected a dogged show against Tunisia arsenic they came backmost from 2-0 down to gully their 2nd match.

Palestine’s Ikram Rami Hamadeh and Hamed Hamdan observe aft qualifying for the knockout stage[Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

Syria, too, won their archetypal lucifer erstwhile they bushed Tunisia 1-0 and were level connected points and extremity quality with their chap Levantine nation.

It near some table-topping teams needing a constituent from the last Group A lucifer to unafraid their advancement , and erstwhile the full-time whistle was blown by the referee signalling a goalless draw, some sets of players fell to the crushed successful an outpouring of the emotions they held backmost for 90 minutes.

The Palestinian squad brought retired their flags, kuffiyehs and loudest roars arsenic they celebrated successful tandem with their vociferous supporters.

Syria’s players were arsenic affectional arsenic they jumped astir successful joyousness and disbelief.

Syrian and Palestinian players observe aft qualifying for the knockout signifier [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

Several Palestinian players, including Gaza-born defender Mohammed Saleh, waved some Palestinian and Syrian flags arsenic the celebrations carried connected good past full-time.

The results and their interaction connected the tournament’s adjacent circular are shocking, not lone due to the fact that some Palestine and Syria are reeling from the effects of war, but besides owed to the gulf successful the teams’ lasting successful satellite football.

Palestine are ranked 96th successful FIFA’s squad rankings, 45 places down Qatar, portion Syria are placed astatine 87. Tunisia, the sixth – champion squad successful Africa, are ranked 40th successful the world.

Qatar are among the six Arab teams to person qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 , and Tunisia are among the 9 African nations successful the finals.

Neither Palestine nor Syria person ever qualified for football’s showpiece event, but for now, their fans volition not attraction arsenic their teams march connected successful the Arab Cup.

Palestine’s fans person attended their team’s games successful large numbers during the Arab Cup [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]