Qatar thrash North Korea, cling to WC playoff hopes

Qatar kept their FIFA World Cup hopes alive with a 5-1 win over North Korea in Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Thursday.Akram Afif played a captain’s role as the victory took Qatar level on 10 points with the United Arab Emirates, nine behind leaders Iran and six adrift of Uzbekistan, with only the top two teams to qualify automatically for next year’s global showpiece. Defeat for North Korea left them rooted at the bottom with two points.Hoping to qualify for the FIFA World Cup on merit after hosting the 2022 edition, Qatar are nine points behind Iran and six behind Uzbekistan with only three matches left. The top two spots, which will bring automatic qualification, look out of reach for Qatar.However, the third and fourth-placed teams will advance to a playoff where another two berths to the World Cup will be at stake and Qatar are right in the mix for it. Both Qatar and North Korea, who played out a 2-2 draw last September, were evenly matched in the first 15 minutes, until an unmarked Afif blasted in from the centre of the box following a set-piece by Mostafa Meshaal in the 17th minute.The action swung then swung to the opposite end of the pitch three minutes later, with Qatar custodian Meshaal Barsham forced into a full-length save from Kang Kuk-chol’s attempt from almost 25 yards.The two-time Asian Cup champions added their second in the 23rd minute when Asian player of the year Afif sent a brilliant through pass from his half that found Ahmed al-Ganehi, who outpaced defender Kim Jin-hyok and sent the ball from inside the 18 yard box past an outstretched Kang Ju-hyok.North Korea almost pulled one back in the 30th minute but keeper Barsham got his fingertips to a direct free-kick from Kang Kuk-chol to push the ball over the crossbar. Kim Yu-son then added salt to injury in the 34th minute when he bundled the ball into his own net after intercepting a pass from Homam Ahmed intended for Murad Hussein.The East Asians started the more dominant side after the break, but it was Qatar who found the back of the net again with another moment of brilliance in the 56th minute from Afif, who sent a defence-splitting pass from his half to Ahmed al-Rawi, who ran down the middle and easily put the ball past Kang Ju-hyok.Ahmed Alaadin, who had come on in the 62nd minute, put the match beyond North Korea’s reach three minutes later when he received Afif’s quickly taken free-kick, beat the keeper and slotted home before Pak Kwang-hun pulled one back in the 86th minute for North Korea.Qatar will meet Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday while North Korea face the UAE.