Abu Dhabi: Saudi Arabia failed to convert their superiority into a win and were forced to share two goals and two points against a 10-man Qatar to throw Group B of the Gulf Cup football championship wide open.
After Iraq split points with Bahrain in the first match, Saudi Arabia came from behind to finish 1-1 and join Iraq on four points each. Qatar and Bahrain are on one point each and all four still have a chance with one round of matches left.
Defending champions Qatar, who also won the Asian Games gold medal, struck early in the game though the goal was more due to a defensive lapse.
A flagkick from the right by Ali Nasser Mohammad Salih looked harmless as it sailed across the goalmouth and with the Saudi defenders and keeper Mohammad Omer Khouga rooted to their positions, it lodged itself into the far corner.
Having yielded an easy goal, the Saudi side then began to take control and started building their moves. With skipper Omer Al Ghamdi assisting, Mohammad Al Shalhoub and star striker Yasser Qah tani began to launch attacks.
But Dzemaluddin Musovic's men seemed to have been anticipating the Saudi onslaught for they played a very tight, defensive game and never allowed the skilled Saudi striker a close look at their goal.
Qah tani, their two-goal hero in the first match, shot wide to waste Saudi's first good chance and then continued to attack in waves. But the Qatari defence threw back everything and soon Saoud Khariri tried a long range shot that just sailed over.
Crossing over, Malek Al Housawi and Abdu Atif also pressed hard along with Shahloub and Qah tani and the Iraqi goals completely was under siege.
But 11 minutes later, Malek turned hero with a brilliant effort. Again fed by Qah tani, Malek beat one Qatari defender, sold a dummy to another and then shot to the right of Saqr, a classy effort to atone for his earlier miss.
The resolute Qatari defence were further weakened when Ebrahim Abdulla hacked Qah tani and received his marching orders. With 15 minutes left, Qatar were down by a man and Saudi Arabia intensified their search for the winner.
Abdu Atif came close but his shot narrowly missed the mark and Qatar managed to snatch a point.
