The game now moved into the 72nd minute, the heavy fatigue of the second half clearly starting to take its toll on the players.
Maintaining possession, Senji brought the ball under tight control near the left flank and lifted his head, calmly scanning the field to find an open passing lane amidst Qatar's compact defensive structure.
But he took a fraction of a second too long. Just as he was finally about to release the pass, a Qatari winger exploded toward him with incredible speed. And before Senji could even react, the winger stabbed his foot right between Senji's, cleanly poking the ball away and triggering a dangerous counterattack.
Senji's eyes widened in sheer panic while the Qatari winger instantly turned upfield and pushed the ball into open space.
