Riyadh – Qatar’s U-23 national team suffered a narrow 1–0 defeat to Syria in their second Group B match of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, played Saturday at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The group also features Japan and the United Arab Emirates.

The decisive moment came late in the match, when Syria captain Mahmoud Al-Aswad converted a penalty in the 85th minute. Just two minutes earlier, Qatar were reduced to ten men after Ayoub Al-Alawi received a red card following a VAR review.

With this result, Qatar remain without points after two consecutive losses, while Syria collected their first three points to sit third in the group. The UAE occupy second place on the same points, with a superior goal difference, while Japan lead the standings with six points.

Qatar had opened their campaign with a 2–0 defeat to the UAE and will now face group leaders Japan on Tuesday in the third and final round. On the same day, Syria will meet the UAE in the other Group B encounter.

The match began in a balanced manner, with Qatar gradually asserting control through possession and territorial dominance. However, Syria’s disciplined defensive organization limited clear chances during the opening ten minutes.

In the 13th minute, Qatar came close to breaking the deadlock from a set piece on the edge of the penalty area, but Abdulaziz Mohammed’s direct effort was blocked by the Syrian defense. Chances followed at both ends, including a crucial defensive intervention by Ayoub Al-Alawi in the 22nd minute to deny a dangerous Syrian move.

Qatar continued to probe, with Nabil Irfan delivering a cross in the 26th minute that flashed across the face of goal, while a corner kick in the 30th minute was safely claimed by the Syrian goalkeeper. Two minutes later, Mohammed Khaled nearly broke through on goal after an impressive run from midfield, only to be fouled by Abdulrahman Al-Arja, who received a yellow card.

Despite several promising moments, neither side managed to convert their opportunities, and the first half ended goalless.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with both teams sharing possession and producing few clear-cut chances. Qatar threatened in the 70th minute through a well-worked move involving Mohammed Khaled and Rashed Abdulaziz, but the Syrian defense once again stood firm.

Syria responded with a swift counterattack in the 75th minute, when Mohammed Al-Mustafa broke free but fired his shot narrowly wide of the left post.

The turning point arrived in the 83rd minute, as VAR intervention awarded Syria a penalty and resulted in a red card for Ayoub Al-Alawi for a foul on Al-Mustafa. Mahmoud Al-Aswad calmly dispatched the spot kick two minutes later to give Syria the lead.

Qatar pushed hard for an equalizer in the closing stages, coming agonizingly close in the 87th minute when Mustafa Al-Sayed’s powerful header from a cross drifted just wide of the right post. However, the numerical disadvantage and Syria’s deep defensive block prevented Al-Annabi from finding a way back.

The match ended 1–0 in Syria’s favor, sealing a hard-fought victory and leaving Qatar with everything to play for in their final group match.