Nasser Al Gahwashi struck both goals as Yemen completed the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 cast after defeating Lebanon 2-0 in their Qualifiers Final Round Group B match last night.
Yemen, who topped the group with 14 points and will be making a return to the continental stage after missing out on the 2023 edition, will square off against Korea Republic, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam in Group E of the Finals.
Searching for the win that would take them to the continental showpiece, Yemen started on the front foot with Al Gahwashi driving his seventh minute free-kick fiercely low towards goal but straight at Lebanon custodian Mostafa Matar.
Lebanon, despite only needing a draw, were not content to sit back and captain Mohamad Haidar’s in-swinging corner delivery saw Leonardo Shahin shaking off his marker at the near post but unable to direct the ball on target.
The end-to-end action then saw livewire Al Gahwashi getting behind Lebanon’s defence in the 33rd minute only to blaze his effort over from close range but it wouldn’t have mattered as he was flagged offside.
Two minutes later, Haidar smashed a swerving volley from just inside Yemen’s box that sailed just inches over the bar as the teams headed into the break on level terms.
The second half took a while to get going with Lebanon’s Jeme Kazan producing a dipping shot on the hour mark – two minutes after replacing Haidar – that was saved by Mohammed Aman.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 62nd minute after a weak header from Walid Shour found Adel Abbas, who nodded the ball on for Al Gahwashi to curl his low shot past the advancing Matar to give Yemen the lead.
Lebanon had an opportunity to equalise almost immediately when Shahin broke through inside the box two minutes later, only to be denied by Harwan Al Zuabidi’s last-ditch challenge.
Al Gahwashi made sure of the win on the stroke of the 90th-minute mark, latching onto to Mamdooh Saleh’s through pass to slot home as Yemen clinched the win that sealed their place in the Finals.
