Qatar thrash North Korea, cling to WC playoff hopes
DOHA, QATAR - MARCH 20: Ahmed Al-Rawi and Akram Afif of Qatar celebrate scoring during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier between Qatar and North Korea at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on March 20, 2025 in Doha, Qatar.
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, Qat...