June 20, (THEWILL)- It was a perfect occasion for Mohammed Abdelrahman playing for his country and faithfully executing his responsibility to help them qualify as he found the match-winner for Sudan to secure their place at the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021.
The hard-fought 1-0 victory over Libya in Doha came from a tight, evenly matched encounter. The match was only a quarter of an hour in when the decisive moment arrived. A late challenge by Ali Salama on Seif El-Din Malik left the referee no choice but to award Sudan a penalty.
It was Abdelrahman’s task to convert the spot-kick and that was exactly what he delivered. He sent the goalkeeper the wrong way with a calmy dispatched spot-kick to hand Sudan the opener, immediately putting the Libyans on the back foot from which they never truly recovered.
To their credit, however, Libya pressed unrelentingly for an equaliser especially after the interval but it was to no avail. The Sudanese held on bravely to their narrow advantage and persevered until the final whistle to claim victory and qualification in the process.
It means Sudan joins hosts Qatar and teams from other Arab countries such as Iraq, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Syria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Algeria in the tournament’s final phase from 30 November to 18 December.
However, in the days ahead, the remaining qualifiers will decide the other six participants that will join this already certified cast of Arab nations.
When the tournament commences later this year, it will offer a vital opportunity to test operations and facilities in place in Qatar exactly a year before the Middle Eastern country is set to host the first World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world.
The Arab Cup presents an opportunity for some of the best teams on the continent to demonstrate their potentials while getting in shape for the competitions ahead. In the latest Coca-Cola FIFA Rankings, Tunisia is ranked second in Africa after Senegal, while Algeria, Morocco and Egypt are fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
