DOHA: Qatar's 2018 World Cup ambitions received a boost on Thursday when they defeated Group C rivals China 1-0 in a tense encounter in Doha.
The win, secured by Karim Boudiaf's 22nd-minute header, maintained Qatar's 100 per cent record and secured their position at the top of the group with four games played.
It also puts them five points ahead of China with just four games left to play.
Only the winners of the group automatically progress to the next stage of qualification, where 12 teams will compete for four spots in Russia in three years' time.
China's only hope now looks to be by qualifying as one of the four best runners-up from the current group stage.
China's coach, Alan Perrin, who faced questions from Chinese journalists after the match about his tactics, called the result "disappointing" and said Qatar would qualify in top spot.
"I think Qatar will finish first because they are better than the other teams, I think it will be difficult for us to finish first (in the group)."
Jose Daniel Carreno, coach of Qatar, though said his side still had work to do.
"We haven't qualified yet and we should not celebrate something that has not been achieved," he said.
"We still have 12 points to play for, we are still far from qualifying."
Thursday's game, played on an air-conditioned pitch, saw both sides start cautiously but gradually Qatar gained control, notably through some fine surges down the right wing from fullback Mohamed Musa.
Their breakthrough came when Boudiaf rose first to a free kick from skipper Hassan Al Haydos to glance the ball home.
Qatar were comfortable at this stage and it took China until the 29th minute to produce their first effort on goal.
Gradually, though, China exerted a little more pressure and came close in the 44th minute when a diving header from Yu Dubao forced a fine save from Qatar goalkeeper Claude Amin.
That set the tone for much of the second half with China increasingly pushing for an equaliser and Qatar looking ever more anxious to close the game out.
China, cheered on by a large number of fans in the 7,730 crowd at the Al Sadd Stadium, went closest through Yu Hanchao's fine volley in the 87th minute, which went narrowly wide.
Qatar could have made it 2-0 but Uruguay-born Sebastian Soria fluffed his chance when clean through on goalkeeper Ren Hang.
Carreno added that his team "retreated" too much in the closing stages but the defence played well.
Perrin refused to make excuses about the air-conditioning, claiming the cooler conditions were better for his side.
Hosts of the World Cup in 2022, Qatar are seeking to avoid becoming the first nation since Italy in 1934 to do so without ever playing in a finals beforehand.
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