Omar Khribin (foreground) celebrates with a teammate after scoring a goal.
Doha, Qatar: Syria made a strong start to their FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 campaign, securing a 1-0 win over Tunisia at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium yesterday.
Omar Khribin scored the solitary goal of the match with a superb free kick in the 48th minute, handing his team three crucial points in a tough group that also includes hosts Qatar and Palestine.
Tunisia controlled most of the first half, but Ferjani Sassi, Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane and Yassine Meriah all failed to penetrate the disciplined Syrian defence wall despite creating several chances. Goalkeeper Shaher Al Shaker did well guarding the net and dealt with every threat as Tunisia were left without any goals while Syria relied on quick counter-attacks.
The Al Wahda striker Khribin led most of the counter-attacks and made the Tunisian backline work more.
Syria looked revved up as the second half kicked off.
Just three minutes on, Khribin curled his free kick into the net to give his side the lead after Tunisia’s Oussama Haddadi had been booked with a yellow card for foul play. Tunisia pushed forward through crosses and set pieces but could not find a response. Their final decisions lacked precision and Syria held firm until the final whistle.
Speaking after the match, the Khribin highlighted the importance of the victory.
“This is a very important win. A win we really needed. We were playing against one of the best teams in the Arab world,” Khribin said.
“Our players are young. For many of them, this is the first time playing together. They performed like experienced professionals. We played with one spirit, and in the end we got the positive result we were looking for,” the Syrian captain said.
Syria entered the tournament after beating South Sudan 2-0 in the playoffs. The victory leveled the teams at five wins each in 12 meetings. They have drawn twice.
The result puts Tunisia under pressure ahead of their next match against Palestine, who later went on to shock hosts and the defending champions Qatar at Al Bayt Stadium yesterday. Syria will meet Qatar next on Thursday, and Khribin labeled it as the decisive game in Group A.
“Now we turn to the second match, against the Qatari national team. I think it will be the decisive game in this group. It will certainly be difficult. This group is very tough. It might be the toughest group in the tournament,” Khribin said.
“There are no easy teams anymore, especially when you are building a squad with young players. Every match will be a challenge,” the 31-year-old said.
“Our ambition with this Syrian team is high. InshaAllah, the players will stay fully focused for the game against Qatar.”
