After a heated quarterfinal match, it came down to penalties.

Qatar’s goalkeeper Barsham had three saves, pushing his team into the semifinals of the Asian Cup.

Uzbekistan striker Odildzhon Hamrobekov says his team could not have given any more.

“We came to the pitch to win but a penalty [shootout] is always won by the team who have more luck,” he told the official broadcast.

“Everything was perfect at the Asian Cup – all the organisation – so I would like to thank them.

“I would like to express my gratitude to all the support given by the fans.”

There will be relief and joy in the Qatari camp after keeping their dream of a home title win alive.

There will also be some celebrations before the team and its fans begin preparations for Wednesday’s semifinal against a strong Iran side at Al Thumama Stadium.