Mendes’ last-minute heroics help Qatar edge Uzbekistan

Lucaz Mendes’ stunning stoppage-time strike breathed life into Qatar’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign as the hosts eked out a crucial 3-2 win against Uzbekistan in a thrilling encounter last night.Qatar were in familiar territory at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium when they let slip a two-goal advantage – courtesy of a first-half brace from Almoez Ali – as Uzbekistan drew level through twin headers from Abbosbek Fayzullaev.But Mendes saved Qatar’s blushes with a dramatic winner in the dying seconds as the defender’s left-footed shot hit the post and sneaked into the net. The result moves Qatar up to seven points from five matches and to within three of second-placed Uzbekistan. However, Qatar are still in fourth place behind on goal difference to United Arab Emirates, who they play next in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Iran, meanwhile, have pulled ahead to 13 points to lead Group A after their comeback win over North Korea in Vientiane earlier in the day.On the eve of the match, Qatar coach Marquez Lopez had rallied his players to ‘fight till their last breath’. While they fought till the end, there were glimpses of sloppiness last night which had cost them victories against North Korea, UAE and Iran. Even as Mendes had his hand over his head in disbelief as the ball crashed into the net, sending his teammates, support staff and entire stadium into delirium, Lopez swiftly disappeared into the tunnel shaking his head.The Spanish coach clearly was not happy with Qatar’s performance, when they nearly gifted their opponents the match after surrendering a two-goal lead.Almoez, who combined beautifully with player of the match Akram Afif for both goals, admitted their performance dropped in the second half. "It was a challenging game. We made it difficult ourselves after taking a two-goal lead. Our performance dipped in the second half but we made a strong comeback and scored a later winner. These are three precious points and we hope to maintain our winning form,” the Al Duhail forward said.Qatar were without Abdelkarim Hassan and Edmilson Junior, unsurprisingly, as neither had featured in training on the eve of the match due to injuries.Uzbekistan too were dealt a severe blow as captain Eldor Shomurodov limped out of the field in the 21st minute after holding his groin with the Roma striker visibly shaken and in tears.It was a stop-start game, with neither side creating enough momentum to threaten each other’s defence until Asian FC Player of the Year Afif produced a sublime pass in the 25th minute. The Al Sadd star beat at least four Uzbek defenders after a counterattack to find an on rushing Almoez, whose hit brushed goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov’s hand but there was enough pace on the ball to take it over the line.Meshaal Barsham denied Fayzullaev an equaliser 10 minutes later after the CSKA Moscow shot was saved smartly by the Qatar goalkeeper. The visitors were still ruing that miss, before Qatar doubled their lead four minutes remaining for half time as the Afif-Almoez combination paid off again. Afif delivered a low, curling ball to the edge of the six-yard box from a free kick taken 25 yards out, and Ali slipped between two Uzbekistan defenders to finish, leaving Yusupov stranded.Azizbek Turgunboev almost pulled one back for Uzbekistan a minute before halftime, unleashing a shot destined for the top corner, but Barsham made a spectacular save, tipping the ball over the bar. Early in the second half, Otabek Shukurov dragged a shot wide with an improvised heel flick from the edge of the area, while Bibur Abdiholiqov came even closer, striking the post from distance.Afif had a chance to seal the game in the 71st minute, but his weak shot was easily handled by Yusupov. With 15 minutes to go, Fayzullaev took advantage of Khojiakbar Alijonov’s inviting cross from the right, diving in to halve the deficit. Just five minutes later, Fayzullaev struck again, heading home from Jaloliddin Masharipov’s delivery, igniting celebrations on the Uzbekistan bench.There were nervous scenes in the Qatar camp after a VAR check for a red card on Mohammed Waad for his foul on Fayzullaev in the 88th minute. Boualem Khoukhi too seemed to suffer from muscle strain, while Abdullah al-Yazidi twisted his ankle, which meant 12 minutes were added into injury time. And that set up a dramatic ending, which Mendes won’t forget in a hurry. While al-Yazidi made it back to the pitch on a painful limp, Khoukhi too summed up his every last energy to head the ball into the path of unmarked Mendes, who took a shot with his second touch as the ball crashed onto the post.While Qatar’s players and fans celebrated with joy, the Uzbek players sank to their haunches, their comeback effort in vain. Uzbekistan coach Srecko Katanec was not pleased with his team’s performance. "Luck eluded us as we lost in the last moment of the match. The match was tough as we expected but we didn’t put up a required performance,” he said. "We recovered well after conceding two goals but conceded a fatal goal at the last moment. This is what football is.”