Doha: A promising first-half performance was not enough for the Qatar U-17 team, as they suffered a crushing 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in the semi-finals of the Gulf Cup on Tuesday evening. The match, held at the Grand Hamad Stadium, saw Qatar surrender a lead and a man-advantage to be eliminated from the tournament.

Despite a dominant first half where they imposed their style of play, Qatar could not maintain their momentum after the break. The team had taken the lead in the 28th minute through a goal from Adam Riyadh, who scored from a set-piece cross.

The momentum appeared to shift decisively in Qatar's favor just before halftime when the Saudi goalkeeper was sent off with a red card. Yet, the second half saw a complete reversal. Saudi emerged more organized and determined, while Qatar struggled to create chances.

The relentless pressure from Saudi Arabia eventually told. Mohammed Muayyad leveled the score in the 81st minute, and a critical defensive error just four minutes later allowed Abdulrahman Mohammed to steal the winning goal, sending the Saudis  through to the final and ending Qatar's hopes.

In the tournament's other semi-final clash, the United Arab Emirates secured a 1-0 victory over Iraq at the Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium (Qatar SC), setting up a final showdown with Saudi Arabia.