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Watch: Qatar U-19 goalie sent off during penalty shootout, captain saves the day
Qatar U-19 goalkeeper Shehab Mamdouh got himself sent off during the penalty shootout against Iraq U-19, but they won the game anyway when skipper Nasser Abdulsalam donned the goalkeeping gloves and saved the penalty, thus ensuring their qualification for the AFC U-19 Asian Championships
In one of the most dramatic finishes to a football game, Qatar’s U-19 team qualified for the Asia Championships, despite their goalkeeper being shown a red card during a penalty shootout!
Qatar and Iraq headed into a penalty shootout after the game ended 1-1 in regulation time. Iraq’s Mohammed Yassen equalised through a penalty to level the game after Qatar’s Abdulla Nasser Al-Murisi had scored the opening goal of the game in the first half.
With the two teams in Group C sharing similar records, a penalty shootout was needed. However, it was not without drama as Qatari goalkeeper Shehab Mamdouh made two crucial saves, breaking into celebration after the second one as he thought the game was won.
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However, the referee ordered the penalty to be taken again as the goalkeeper had stepped off his line before the ball was struck, which is a breach of the rules.
Mamdouh had already received a yellow card earlier, and when he got into an argument with the referee over this, the referee showed him a second yellow - and his marching orders.
The Qatari team was left shocked over the incident, but their captain Nasser Abdulsalam decided to take matters in his own hands. He not only donned the goalkeeper’s gloves, but also made a crucial save — albeit with his feet — that assured their qualification.
The AFC U-19 Asian Championships will take place in Indonesia next year from October 18-November 4.
