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Home  » Sports » Hosts Qatar fall to Uzbekistan in Asian Cup opener

Hosts Qatar fall to Uzbekistan in Asian Cup opener

January 07, 2011 23:58 IST
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Hosts Qatar made the worst possible start to the Asian Cup on Friday when they were beaten 2-0 by Uzbekistan who hardly had to raise their game above walking pace to secure a comfortable victory at the Khalifa Stadium.

The Central Asian side, ranked 109th in the world, five places above the 2022 World Cup hosts, took the lead in the Group A match with a superb 28-metre strike from midfielder Odil Akhmedov which flew in off the crossbar after 59 minutes.

Uzbekistan's Server Djeparov (left) celebrates scoring against Qatar on FridayThey doubled their advantage when their skipper Server Djeparov punished a wayward defensive pass and steered the ball past stranded keeper Qasem Burhan into the empty net.

The result was a huge anti-climax for the hosts, who came closest to scoring when Fabio Cesar hit the post with a first-half free kick. It clearly did not impress the home fans who left the stadium in droves long before the final whistle.

Kuwait face China in the second Group A match of the three-week tournament on Saturday.

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Source: REUTERS
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