Doha, December 16 (BNA): Youssef Belily scored in stoppage time 17 minutes to lead Algeria to victory over Arab Cup hosts Qatar 2-1 in a dramatic end to the second semi-final match to play the final against its neighbor Tunisia.
Balili saved a penalty but was the fastest to rebound to secure Algeria’s victory in a strange conclusion to a match that seemed to conclude it, but it changed complexion after the Polish referee added nine minutes of stoppage time at Al Thumama Stadium. reports.
Algeria were leading 1-0 and seemed to qualify comfortably before a stunning header from substitute Mohamed Muntari tied Qatar six minutes into overtime.
The goal was confirmed after a VAR check but the Algerians continued to protest, claiming to have been pushed into the crowd and received several warnings.
Algeria won the decisive penalty when Abdelaziz Hatem tackled Yassine Brahimi and referee Simon Marciniak eventually allowed 19 minutes of extra time to finish.
Algeria’s opening goal came through defender Djamel Benlamri, who deviated slightly from the long-range goal of his teammate Hussein Ben Ayada in the 59th minute.
Algeria, which is without a major team of its professional players in Europe, will face Tunisia in Saturday’s final at Al Bayt Stadium while Qatar tests its stadiums and organization ahead of next year’s World Cup.
They also hoped that the fruits of the Arab Cup would show a long period of preparation for their national team, which participated in the Copa America and the CONCACAF Gold Cup after winning the 2019 Asian Cup and played several friendly matches against a European competitor this year.
But they did not live up to expectations in front of about 40,000 spectators despite the belated effort from Ghana-born Muntari, which gave them a short-lived lifeline.
Tunisia earlier beat Egypt 1-0 thanks to a last-gasp own goal in the first semi-final.