Qatar suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat against Russia in a tough international friendly match at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium on Sunday. The hosts, who struggled to find their rhythm early on, allowed Russia to score thrice before half-time and that decided the game’s outcome.

Russia’s goals were scored by Aleksandr Golovin (33rd minute), Matvey Kislyak (35th), Ivan Sergeev (45th), and Alexey Miranchuk (69th). Qatar’s star player Akram Afif managed to score the hosts’ lone goal in the 62nd, offering a glimmer of hope to home fans.

Qatar defender Tarek Salman admitted the team struggled with coordination. “We’re saddened by the heavy loss on our home turf. The coach is still trying to figure out the right combination by experimenting with new players, and yes, there were many mistakes. But this is a friendly match, and we need to learn from our errors,” Salman said.

Russia started strong, hitting the crossbar early before Golovin scored a well-placed goal assisted by Aleksey Batrakov. Kislyak quickly followed up with a header goal, and Sergeev made it 3-0 after Qatar’s goalkeeper spilled a save. Despite Qatar’s efforts to recover in the second half, Russia scored a fourth through Miranchuk.

Afif’s goal gave Qatar’s fans a moment of joy as he skillfully set up the strike, showing his class even in a difficult match.

The friendly defeat serves as a wake-up call for Qatar ahead of the crucial Asian qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

---

Make sure to check out our social media to keep track of the latest content. 

Instagram - @qatarliving

X - @qatarliving

Facebook - Qatar Living

YouTube - qatarlivingofficial