RIYADH: Qatar coach Djamel Belmadi on Thursday applauded his players for their fighting performance, saying his boys were dominant in the second half in their 1-1 draw against hosts Saudi Arabia. "It was difficult for us in the first half," Belmadi said after his side snatched a point off in their opening Gulf Cup match at King Fahd International Stadium on Thursday. "But we controlled the match better in the second half. Our players lacked experience and then I had to make some changes which helped," he added. 'We were definitely far more organized in the second half," he said. "I am not satisfied but the 1-1 draw is not a bad result. We played well in front a hostile crowd and a strong Saudi side," Belmadi said. "We will try to fix our problems in the next match," Belmadi said. Qatar play Yemen on November 16 and then Bahrain on November 19.