Bangkok, Thailand: Qatar finished their AFC U17 Asian CupTM Thailand 2023 Group B campaign on a low note with a 2-1 loss to Afghanistan, in the match played at Rajamangala stadium.

After this victory, Afghanistan took third place in the group, behind only the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Korea, while Qatar ended last with a single point.

There was a lot at stake for Qatar, as they might have beaten Islamic Republic of Iran to the second quarterfinal slot in Group B with a win over Afghanistan and a favor from Korea Republic.

Qatar had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the opening stages of the match, but Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid's cross was headed wastefully wide by Nasser Adil Babiker from close range.

Afghanistan responded by making repeated charges into Qatar’s 18-yard box in the minutes that followed.

In the 17th minute, their perseverance paid off when a through pass from Hakim Khan Niazi found Habibullah Hotak on the edge of the box. Hotak's right-footed drive hit the crossbar and entered the back of the net.

But Afghanistan's joy over their first goal of the tournament didn't last long, as in the 25th minute, Qatar's Babiker took a shot from the right flank, and Afghanistan's goalkeeper Sediqullah Hussain parried it, only for it to land at the feet of Qatar's midfielder Khalid Atiyaq Alshaaibi, who blasted it into the upper right corner of the net. However, in the 40th minute, Qatar fell farther down when Iranian defender Hotak scored off an assist from Ali Reza Rahimi, beating a helpless Galal Elsharkway with a precise right-footed shot.

As the clock hit the one hour mark, midfielder Arash Ahmadi created a chance for Afghanistan to extend their lead but his pass to teammate Navid Mohammadi  past several Qatari defenders  failed to achieve much as the lattersent the ball wide.

The remaining minutes of the second half were marked by the Qatari team seemingly running out of ideas while Mohammad Zada's team continued to take some half-hearted chances that were routinely cleared away by the Qatari defense line.