ABU DHABI, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Qatar reached the semifinals at 2019 Asian Cup for the first time by shocking powerhouse South Korea 1-0 here on Friday.
Abdelaziz Hatim of Qatar scored a stunning long-range curler after 78 minutes, the sole goal of the game. With the victory, Qatar continued their winning streak in the tournament without conceding a goal.
As expected, South Korea controlled midfield and Qatar sought to hit their opponents on the break. With the half-hour mark approaching, both sides were struggling to create clear openings.
Hwang In-Beom had the first chance to put South Korea ahead, firing just over after 34 minutes following a free kick on the right wing.
The first half ended with little further action at either end, and the second half started in similar fashion until Hwang Ui-Jo' shot forced a good save out of Qatar keeper Saad Al Sheeb in the 48th minute.
South Korea were close to an opener in the 72nd minute when Son Heung-Min's shot was straight at the goalkeeper. Five minutes later, Kim Jin-Su struck the post from a free kick with a curler.
The two-time Asian champions failed to turn their dominance of possession into further chances and paid the price with 12 minutes remaining, when Abdelaziz Hatim struck a superb low drive from 25 yards for a winner.
Hwang Ui-Jo equalized seconds later but was judged offside before a VAR review showed the linesman made the right call.
