DOHA: Mohammed Belaili converted a penalty kick in the 17th minute of stoppage time to send Algeria to the final of the FIFA Arab Cup after knocking out hosts Qatar 2-1 in a lively and pulsating semi-final at Al Thumama Stadium on Wednesday.

A 60th-minute goal by Benlamri Djamel helped Algeria take the lead but a dramatic end to the match was witnessed with Qatar equalising through Mohammed Muntari in the seventh minute of injury time.

The match seemed to be heading for extra time before Algeria was awarded a penalty kick, which was converted after the initial effort was saved by Qatar’s goal-keeper Saad Alsheeb.

The hosts started on a bright note, creating two chances in the opening 15 minutes. Almoez Ali’s ambitious shot on the turn landed on top of the net, while Ismail Mohamad skied his shot from a tight angle.

Sanchez continued to employ a high press game, but once the Algerians got the hang of it, they were in total control. The Desert Warriors had the fit-again Baghdad Bounedjah back in the XI and the Al Sadd star looked threatening every time he went into the box. He narrowly missed a whipped cross but provided Algeria’s best chance in the first half.

In the 35th minute, Bounedjah played a perfect through pass to Brahimi but the Al Rayyan striker shot straight to al-Sheeb, who palmed the ball upwards before clutching on to it the second time.

Algeria started the second half strongly and could have been 2-0 with Brahimi curling his shot wide and Bounedjah rattling the woodwork but was flagged offside. Boundjah came close yet again, this time the striker’s shot just wide of the far post.

Algeria’s opener arrived in the 59th minute. After al-Sheeb came comes out of the six yard box to punch the ball away, it landed on the feet of Houcine Benayada, who volleyed a powerful shot which brushed of Djamel Benlamri and into the net.

With a goal behind and crowd on their side, Qatar upped their tempo as Algerian sat back defending their one-goal advantage. The hosts nearly had an equaliser after Boualem Khoukhi’s header was pushed away by a diving Rais M’Bolhi.
Inexplicably, nine minutes were added after the full time and the tired Qatar players found one last bit of energy with Muntari’s towering header beating goalkeeper M’Bolhi. But as the clock ticked down to the last minute of extra time, Yacine Brahimi won a penalty in the box after a foul from Abdulaziz Hatem.

Al-Sheeb dived to his right to save the penalty off Belaili, but cruelly the goalkeeper saw the Algerian tap in the rebound to send the Les Verts’ fans into frenzy.

Algeria will take on Tunisia in Sunday’s final, with the latter having beaten Egypt in the first semi-final earlier in the day.