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Qatar beat Saudi Arabia to win Gulf Cup title

By Sameh Elbardissi RIYADH - Qatar won their third Gulf Cup title after recovering from an early goal to beat hosts Saudi Arabia 2-1 on Wednesday. Skipper Saud Kariri opened the scoring for the Saudi team, also three-time champions, after 16 minutes at the nearly full King Fahd stadium but Qatar replied with a magnificent header from defender Al Mahdi Ali two minutes later. Algerian-born Khoukhi Boualem scored the winner for 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar in the 58th minute to hand his team their first Gulf title away from home. Qatar, winners in Doha in 1992 and 2004, made a slow start to the tournament, failing to win a match at the group stage, but hit form with a 3-1 win in the semis against Oman before capturing the title. (Editing by Martyn Herman)