November 11 to December 1, 2019 (Asian and European WC Qatar 2022 Qualifiers) Global Futbol Matches

The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2019.

November 11 to December 1, 2019 (Qatar 2022 Qualifiers)

 

Asia

Nepal played host to Guam in the first of the Asian World Cup Qualifiers. Although fielding a choice side, Nepal struggled to ease into the game, and Guam capitalised with a goal in the 21st minute from Mark Chargualaf. Nepalese left midfielder Sujal Shrestha then was found injured and was taken off at halftime to keep him fresh for the away leg. His substitute, Bharat Khawas, also was injured and had to be substituted. Nevertheless, Nepal had chances to equalise, but eight important saves by Player of the Match Dallas Jaye meant Guam gained a vital first win.

 

In the return leg, both sides felt for a weakness as the ball went back and forth. Then, in the 33rd minute, Marcus Lopez scored for Guam, effectively giving them the greatest of advantages. Nepal had to score twice, and they scored near the hour mark via Abishek Rijal. A few chances went begging as Nepal searched for a second that would help them progress, only for Guam to hold firm and claim a place in the next qualification stage.

 

Macau faced off against East Timor and looked in charge for the first 25 minutes, thanks to the confidence from a third-minute goal by midfielder Hoi San Cheong. However, East Timor struck back due to poor defence through Danilson in the 31st minute. In the second half, both sides created little chances as they tentatively played knowing they had another game the following week.

 

Buoyed by the away draw, East Timor knew they had the upper hand in the return leg. The first half, though, petered out like the second half of the first match, as though neither wanted to win or lose. Macau kept their back five, hoping to nullify any East Timorese advances, and catch them on the counterattack. However, East Timor attacked in the second half, with three shots missing to the right of goal, thanks to the defensive pressure. Finally, substitute Victor finished off a great team goal, sending East Timor to the next stage.

 

Island neighbours clashed as the Philippines played against Chinese Taipei to reach Stage 2 of the World Cup Qualifiers. Without the Younghusband brothers, the Philippines looked at ease with their relatively new line up, scoring three in the first half. Daisuke Sato and Stephan Schröck had both scored by the tenth minute; Sato with a curling left footer and Schröck with a glorious scissor kick from a left-wing cross. Àngel Guirado made it three right before the break and should have scored another in the second half with his multiple attempts. Still, a three-goal lead looked enough for the second leg.

 

Chinese Taipei waited until the Philippines had their shots out of their system before easing back into the home game. All goal scorers from the first leg had chances, only to miss the mark. Offsides were the order, much like the first leg, before the hosts started pulling their act together. This created a chance straight after the break, with Wu Chun Ching scoring a sliding goal as he beat everyone to a through ball into the box. Chinese Taipei tried in vain for a second goal, and then had four blocks in quick succession to hold the Philippines from equalising. The game ended one-nil, and the Philippines progressed to the next stage.

 

The Philippines now look to the Asian Cup, where they face Tajikistan, Kuwait and Australia.

 

The match between Yemen and Malaysia was looking to peter out to a scoreless draw until substitutes Ali Kafeedh and Essam Al Worafi scored three minutes from time and in additional time respectively to give Yemen a solid chance at progressing. Yemen did win the midfield battle but failed to turn that into scoring opportunities until the death. Both Malaysia and Yemen had a chance each in the early second half period. Eventually, the two Yemeni substitutes had their goals, and stood them in good stead for the second leg.

 

Malaysia did improve in midfield, but it was a surprise counter goal from Emad Tawfik that effectively sent Yemen through to the next stage right before halftime. Needing four goals, Malaysia went on the attack. Brendan Gan hit the woodwork before a great attack culminated in an own goal by Ahmed Sadeq Al Khamri. When the match was effectively over, across the two legs, Malaysia took away the win when substitute Norshahrul Talaha caught onto a poor goalkeeping clearance and snagged a goal.

 

In spite of the win, Malaysia will rue the two late goals given away in the first match. They now look to the Asian Cup, where they find themselves against Thailand, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

 

Afghanistan dominated the first half of the first leg against Sri Lanka, producing six shots on target. However, the Sri Lankan goalkeeper kept his side in the match, producing high-quality saves. Finally, right before the break, Afghani midfielder Noroallah Amiri scored, hitting the lower part of the post before the ball crossed the line. After halftime, the trend continued, with Afghanistan creating chance after chance, only for the goalkeeper to keep up his end of the bargain (thirteen saves in total). Substitute Jabar Sharza changed all that with his first touch, stealing the ball and slotting home Afghanistan’s second goal.

 

In the reverse leg, both sides had chances in the first half, including both hitting the crossbar. The second half then looked to peter out until it became the substitutes’ game as they made a real difference late. Afghanistan’s Khaibar Amani out turned his marking man and scored in the 74th minute. Not to be outdone, Shaheel Mohamed earned Sri Lanka a corner and then headed home an equaliser with hardly any time left. Naeem Rahimi, however, had other ideas, and rocketed a shot that smacked the bottom of the left-hand post before entering the goal area, giving Afghanistan the win for the leg and the 4-1 aggregate score to progress.

 

Afghanistan, on a high, now face Syria in the Asian Cup, in a group also featuring Bahrain and Iraq. Sri Lanka must wait until the Asian Nations League next year, where they face Hong Kong and Qatar.

 

Lebanon hosted Jordan in their attempt to qualify for the second stage, heading toward Qatar, particularly with the fact it is a Middle East World Cup and having the advantage of acclimatisation on their side. Mohamad Haidar scored in the eighth minute, giving Lebanon the advantage they needed for the remainder of the game. Most of the match was played in the middle of the park, until late when both sides had chances to score. Jordan’s effort to equalise was the best chance, missing to the right of goal. Still, a one-goal lead was all Lebanon needed leading into the second match.

 

Neither side could gain the advantage in the final third until Lebanon’s George Felix Melki broke the deadlock in the 35th minute. From there, with Jordan realising they needed three goals, Lebanon kept the upper hand, allowing only one definitive chance for Jordan to score, and once again, like in the previous match, missed to the right.

 

Lebanon advances to the next stage, where they first face South Korea in Group B. Jordan also misses the Asian Cup, and in spite of having a quality side, will have to wait until the Asian Nations League when they battle China and Laos for a place in League A.

 

Indonesia and Bangladesh, two foes that will face off in the Asian Cup in January, first faced each other to reach the next stage of qualification for Qatar. Indonesia had the upper hand in the home leg, scoring right before the break via Irfan Bachdim. However, they struggled in the second half to have any real attempts on goal, and so Bangladesh held firm that their chances would come when playing back at home.

 

Bangladesh had three early chances thwarted by the Indonesian defence. A fourth came just before the break, only to not be able to score a goal. The home side looked exhausted, having thrown everything at the Indonesians early, and having played two games in five days. In the end, Indonesia’s goal in the first leg proved the difference.

 

The two sides will now face off again in the Asian Cup in January in a group also containing India and Uzbekistan.

 

Similarly, Kyrgyzstan and Brunei battled in the World Cup Qualifiers prior to meeting in the Asian Cup. Brunei had the upper hand of the first half, largely thanks to a goal from Asri Haji Aspar. Kyrgyzstan worked back into the match in the second half and gained a late equaliser via substitute Bekzhan Sagynbaev.

 

The winner of the return leg would progress. Kyrgyzstan seemed to take momentum from the late goal in the first leg and produce a quality match worthy of qualifying. Tursunali Rustamov caught onto a Mirlan Murzaev cross, heading home the opening goal. Rustamov then combined again with Murzaev, setting up the striker with a through ball. At halftime, with the score 2-0, Kyrgyzstan then ramped up the pressure, seeking more goals. Akhlidin Israilov crossed from the right wing to the head of Murzaev, scoring his second goal. Murzaev then punted a through ball to Israilov, who made no mistake. Four goals became the order of the day, leaving Brunei in the wake.

 

Brunei will hope to do better in the Asian Cup showdown before taking on the might of Japan and hosts the UAE.

 

Speaking of the UAE, they gave the Northern Mariana Islands a taste of their first competitive Asian game with a two-nil away victory. The home side did show some solid play in attack, and aside from the two goals, were able to close down the UAE’s shots and keep them at bay. Ismail Al Hammadi scored both goals in the match; once in the third minute and again in the 70th minute. The UAE looked solid across the park, only allowing the Northern Mariana Islanders one shot on goal from a counterattack.

 

In the reverse leg, Ahmed Khalil had a brace by the 24th minute. Joining the scoring was Ismail Matar and Al Hammadi, both also snagging two goals each before the half, along with Ali Mabkhout. After the break, the UAE missed key shots, before Al Hammadi completed his hat trick; the score ended eight-nil.

 

The UAE will relish now hosting the Asian Cup in January, with the chance to go deep in the tournament and rise in the rankings far above their current place of 158th.

 

Bhutan and Cambodia looked to extend their World Cup Qualifiers beyond just two games as they versed one another. The first match, in Bhutan, saw Cambodia score early via Mony Udom Prak, setting the course of the match. However, Bhutan came out in the second half with a renewed spirit, looking to equalise. They did so through a great team goal, culminating in a left footer by Lhendup Dorji. Bhutan fought for a late winner, only for the Cambodian defence to hold firm.

 

In the reverse leg, Sieng Chanthea came off the bench at halftime to score for Cambodia, giving them the upper hand in the match. From there, the hosts played for the singular goal win, helping them advance to the next stage, and leaving Bhutan in the wake.

 

Cambodia will face Pakistan first in the second stage of Qualifiers, along with South Korea and Lebanon in the group. Bhutan will play again against Afghanistan and Malaysia in the Asian Nations League D come September next year.

 

Turkmenistan desired a rise in rankings from 200th, with a double win the aim against Mongolia. Though the first half proved fruitless, both defensive midfielders, Serdar Geldiýew and Wezirgeldi Ylýasow, scored for the home side to give them the upper hand going into the away leg.

 

Mongolia had other ideas. For the first twenty-odd minutes, the game played into Turkmenistan’s hands. However, striker Naranbold Nyam-Osor out turned his marking man and snagged a goal. Straight after the break, Baljinnyam Batbold had the equaliser across the two legs. Whoever would score next would win the two-legged tie. The Turkmenistan goalkeeper tried in vain to dive on a ball that had hit the post and trickled across the face of goal; the Mongolian right winger just cleared the ball away in the hopes of simply keeping possession. That missed dive gained Mongolia a penalty, easily slotted to the right by Dulguun Amaraa. When Nyam-Osor gained his brace, it was game over, although Turkmenistan had three more unsuccessful attempts on goal, keeping their ranking on the lower end of the spectrum.

 

Mongolia now take on India in Group F, where they will do their utmost to rise above the sub-continent side, as well as tackle Afghanistan and powerhouse Australia. As for Turkmenistan, their wait is until the match against the Maldives in the only group with two nations for the Nations League.

 

As for the Maldives, they needed a win to start their campaign against Tajikistan. Thanks to a double effort from Hassan Naiz in the 35th minute, they were able to. Earlier, Tajikistan looked the team that would score first. Once the hosts had the goal, they dominated much of the match, though they struggled to get a decent shot on target, and the one goal was the difference.

 

In the return leg, Tajikistan had eight efforts at goal, only to not secure any goals from them, including one at the death to equalise the game across the two matches. Instead, the Maldives finished with the advancement to the next stage.

 

Thanks to the draw, the Maldives now face China in the second stage of Qualifiers, along a group containing Iraq and East Timor. As for Tajikistan, they have a chance to save face, having qualified for the Asian Cup and in a group featuring the Philippines, Australia and Kuwait, before facing Iran in next year’s Nations League A.

 

Singapore hosted Myanmar in a battle for continuation in qualification for Qatar. Myanmar looked the goods when they scored via Tin Win Aung. Singapore worked back into the match and had chances go begging, before a penalty was won and Ikhsan Fandi made no mistake from the spot as he hit the underside of the crossbar. The home side should have the winner late, only to have it thwarted by the Myanmar goalkeeper.

 

With fifty places difference in ranking, Myanmar knew a goal would secure their place from the second leg. Yan Naing Oo got the ball rolling for Myanmar with a first-touch shot. However, the second half came alive after Ikhsan Fandi again scored before the break, chipping the Myanmar goalkeeper in a one-on-one scenario. Myanmar should have won the game in regulation time; their shots were too wide or too straight at the Singaporean goalkeeper. Instead, the match went to extra time, then to penalties. Two conversions for Myanmar by Aung Thu and Than Paing, coupled against two misses by Singapore’s Hafiz Nor and Fareez Farhan effectively gifted the win to the hosts. Tin Win Aung then pocketed Myanmar’s third goal. Singapore’s Sulaiman scored, only for David Htan to punt to the right and gain Myanmar’s progression to the next stage.

 

Myanmar now face Kuwait, as well as Yemen and North Korea in the next stage. Singapore also play against Yemen next, but in the Asian Nations League D; the same group as Guam.

 

Yashir Islame and Musab Al-Battat scored in the first half for Palestine against Thailand in their Qatar Playoffs. Though Palestine had half chances in the second half, the two goals were enough going into the second leg.

 

Thailand tried in vain to close down the two-goal deficit in their home game, but it was fruitless once substitute Mahmoud Wadi scored the winner, rounding out 3-0 for Palestine across both legs.

 

Palestine next face Oman, China and South Korea in the Asian Cup, while Thailand are in the same group as Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Will either side advance to the Round of 16?

 

Europe

Having played the first leg on Sunday, Latvia were hoping to win the return leg against Kosovo. With the aggregate score locked at one-all, the progression to the Group Stage of qualification was anyone’s guess. Latvia stepped up their attack after the half hour mark and kept up the pressure for much of the match as they dominated in all aspects. The youngster Raivis Jurkovskis had the best chances early, before straight after the break, he set up a through ball to Dāvis Ikaunieks, who scored for the second time against Kosovo. Latvia kept the Kosovans on the back foot, searching for a second goal. However, the away side kept their cool and waited for the chance to counter. When they did, steely Latvian defence, followed by a choice save, kept the ball out of the goal. Then, against the odds, substitute Besar Halimi scored with his first touch, sending the game into extra time. Again, Latvia had their chances as they did not want to go to penalties. Instead, Kosovo won with only seconds left as Valon Berisha raked home the winner and sent Kosovo into the next phase of qualification.

 

Latvia must dust off the disappointment of the loss and tackle Sweden in the Physico Championship Playoffs, while Kosovo will look forward to facing Croatia in their World Cup Qualifier next year. In that group they will also face 2018 World Cup participants Cyprus and England. It will be a tough campaign, but with late winners their specialty, they will be a formidable force to keep the other nations in check.

 

Albania and Moldova played in the second European qualification playoff, with Moldova looking the goods early. However, missed shots became the order of the day, even when Albania worked back into the match late in the first half. The second half saw a tighter affair in the middle of the park. Eventually, Albania gained the upper hand, and in the 89th minute, scored via Bekim Balaj.

 

That goal was crucial as the second leg unfolded, with both sides keeping their starting eleven. Chances went begging early for the two teams, before Moldova took charge of the match, scoring in the 43rd minute via Artur Ioniţă. However, the Albanian goalkeeper made eight saves as Moldova shot for goal time after time but were unable to win the game. In extra time, Moldova and Albania each had an opportunity to score, but the match was destined for penalties.

 

Moldova went first, with Alexandru Biociuc scoring to the left of the keeper. Sokol Cikalleshi scored to the right of the keeper. Moldovan defender Dinu Graur hit the right-hand post, giving Albania the upper hand, particularly when Klaus Gjasula scored to right of the keeper. Alexandru Antoniuc scored to the left to stay in the match. Goalkeeper Etrit Berisha then faced his counterpart and scored to keep the lead. Eugeniu Cociuc scored to the right of the keeper, keeping hopes alive for the home side. Migjen Basha scored to the right of the keeper. Moldava’s Radu Gînsari’s shot was saved, and Albania progressed to the next stage.

 

Albania now join Group A in the World Cup Qualifiers and will face Norway first, as well as Germany and Scotland.

 

There was no way the matchup between Gibraltar and Montenegro was going to extra time or penalties like the other two, especially since Montenegro had qualified for Euro 2020. Montenegro scored three goals in the first half via Dušan Lagator, Stefan Mugoša and Aleksandar Boljević. It should have been more, had it not been for the Gibraltar goalkeeper. After the break, substitute Marko Janković scored twice in quick succession. Marko Bakić, Deni Hočko and Nikola Vukčević all added to the Montenegrin tally to make it eight goals all up.

 

In the return leg, Aleksandar Boljević and Fatos Bećiraj both scored braces, though the score should have been far greater had it not been for the Gibraltar goalkeeper, as well as that right-hand post being hit four times. In the end, the twelve-goal margin across the two matches saw Montenegro move to the next phase, where they will meet Turkey, as well as Israel and Russia.

November 14 Men’s WC Qualifiers Asia MD 1 ·  Nepal (1446) 0 Guam (1494) 1 ·  Macau (1392) 1 East Timor 1 (1469) ·  Philippines 3 (1450) Chinese Taipei (1450) 0 ·  Yemen (1459) 2 Malaysia (1534) 0   U20 Men’s Friendlies Match day 4 ·  Kazakhstan 0 Germany 3 ·  Egypt 0 England 1 ·  Kosovo 3 Brazil 2 ·  Bangladesh 2 Netherlands 4 ·  Morocco 2 Mexico 1 ·  Marshall Islands 0 USA 2 ·  Slovenia 0 France 2 ·  Bulgaria 0 Spain 3 ·  Vanuatu 0 Japan 4 ·  Ethiopia 0 Ireland 3 ·  Nepal 3 Jamaica 4 ·  Bosnia 3 Chile 2 ·  Turkey 3 Italy 2 ·  Togo 1 South Korea 3 ·  Argentina 1 Malta 2 ·  Algeria 2 Portugal 4 ·  UAE 1 Bahrain 3 ·  Peru 2 Paraguay 4 ·  Pakistan 2 Serbia 3 ·  Turks and Caicos Islands 1 Saudi Arabia 3 ·  Malaysia 1 Ukraine 2 ·  Zimbabwe 1 Australia 0 ·  Barbados 2 China 3 ·  Austria 1 Canada 3 ·  Malawi 1 Wales 2 ·  Hong Kong 3 Zambia 0 ·  Comoros 2 Czech Republic 0 ·  Albania 1 Russia 2 ·  Samoa 1 Costa Rica 2 ·  South Africa 1 Croatia 3 ·  Mauritius 3 Denmark 0   ·

November 15 Men’s WC Qualifiers Europe MD 2 ·  Latvia 1 Kosovo 1 (1-2 after extra time. Kosovo progressed 2-3 on aggregate)   U20 Women’s Friendlies Match day 4 ·  Portugal 2 Germany 2 ·  Ethiopia 1 England 3 ·  Chile 1 Brazil 3 ·  China 4 Netherlands 3 ·  Mauritania 2 Mexico 1 ·  Micronesia 0 USA 2 ·  Greece 2 France 4 ·  Venezuela 2 Spain 1 ·  Qatar 2 Japan 3 ·  Congo 0 Ireland 3 ·  Canada 2 Jamaica 3 ·  Bahrain 3 Italy 2 ·  UAE 3 South Korea 2 ·  Switzerland 2 Slovenia 0 ·  Paraguay 1 Malta 2 ·  Vietnam 0 Serbia 3 ·  Mongolia 3 Algeria 1 ·  Azerbaijan 0 Saudi Arabia 2 ·  Turkey 1 Ukraine 3 ·  Zambia 1 Australia 0 ·  El Salvador 0 Argentina 1 ·  Russia 3 Wales 2 ·  Scotland 3 Czech Republic 4 ·  Montenegro 3 Costa Rica 4 ·  Botswana 1 Croatia 3

November 16 Men’s WC Qualifiers Asia MD 1 ·  Afghanistan 2 Sri Lanka 0 ·  Lebanon 1 Jordan 0 ·  Indonesia 1 Bangladesh 0 ·  Brunei 1 Kyrgyzstan 1 ·  Bhutan 1 Cambodia 1 ·  Turkmenistan 2 Mongolia 0 ·  Maldives 1 Tajikistan 0 ·  Singapore 1 Myanmar 1 ·  Palestine 2 Thailand 0 ·  Northern Mariana Islands 0 UAE 2   Europe MD 1 ·  Albania 1 Moldova 0 ·  Gibraltar 0 Montenegro 8

Nov 21 Men’s WC Qualifiers Asia MD 2 ·  Guam 1 Nepal 1 (Guam advances 2-1 on aggregate) ·  East Timor 1 Macau 0 (East Timor advances 2-1 on aggregate) ·  Chinese Taipei 1 Philippines 0 (Philippines progress 3-1 on aggregate) ·  Malaysia 2 Yemen 1 (Yemen progresses 3-2 on aggregate) ·  Sri Lanka 1 Afghanistan 2 (Afghanistan progresses 1-4 on aggregate) ·  Jordan 0 Lebanon 1 (Lebanon progresses 0-2 on aggregate) ·  Bangladesh 0 Indonesia 0 (Indonesia progresses 0-1 on aggregate) ·  Kyrgyzstan 4 Brunei 0 (Kyrgyzstan progresses 5-1 on aggregate) ·  Cambodia 1 Bhutan 0 (Cambodia progresses 2-1 on aggregate) ·  Mongolia 4 Turkmenistan 0 (Mongolia progresses 4-2 on aggregate) ·  Myanmar 1 Singapore 1 (Myanmar progresses 2-2 (4-1) on penalties) ·  Thailand 0 Palestine 1 (Palestine progresses 0-3 on aggregate) ·  Tajikistan 0 Maldives 0 (Maldives progress 0-1 on aggregate) ·  UAE 8 Northern Mariana Islands 0 (UAE progresses 10-0 on aggregate)   Europe MD 2 ·  Moldova 1 Albania 0 (Albania won 3-4 on penalties and progressed after aggregate 1-1) ·  Montenegro 4 Gibraltar 0 (Montenegro progresses 12-0 on aggregate)