Hasan Al Haydos (front) of Qatar shoot to score during the Group A match between Qatar and China of AFC Asian Cup at Khalifa international statium in Doha, Qatar, on Jan 22, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

DOHA - Hasan Al Haydos came off the bench to score a thunderous volley as Qatar beat China 1-0 in the final round of Group A at the AFC Asian Cup here on Monday.

The reigning champion won its third game in a row to top the group, while China, who failed to score in all three matches and finished third in the group, now has to wait for the results of other groups to confirm whether it can qualify for the knockout stage.

Before Monday's match, China, with two points, needed to win its group finale to guarantee a place in the last 16, while Qatar had already won the group with two wins from two games.

China's head coach Aleksandar Jankovic made a bold change to his starting lineup, replacing star forward Wu Lei with Wei Shihao, who just recovered from an injury and missed the first two matches. Having already qualified, Qatar rotated nine of their eleven starters.

Desperate for a win, China created more scoring opportunities in the first half with a total of eight shots, four more than Qatar.

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Wei Shihao (first left) of China heads the ball during the Group A match between Qatar and China of AFC Asian Cup at Khalifa international statium in Doha, Qatar, on Jan 22, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Wei was close to opening the scoring in the 36th minute, but his close-range shot was denied by Qatari goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb, before Wu Xi's right-footed shot cruised past the goal area.

In injury time of the first half, Lin Liangming and Wei unleashed two consecutive strikes, both of which went slightly off the target.

Qatar brought on star forward Akram Afif and Haydos in the 64th minute, which immediately changed the momentum of the match. Just two minutes later, Haydos volleyed home from distance, thanks to a precise corner cross delivered by Afif.

China's substitute Jiang Shenglong sent the ball into the back of the net in the 87th minute, but the goal was disallowed as the ball had been out of bounds in the buildup.

Tajikistan's players celebrate their second goal during the Qatar 2023 AFC Asian Cup Group A football match between Tajikistan and Lebanon at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on Jan 22, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

Also on Monday, Nuriddin Khamrokulov scored a winner in stoppage time of the second half as Tajikistan rallied to beat Lebanon 2-1.

Tajikistan finished second in the group with four points, thus advancing to the last 16, while Lebanon, with one point, was eliminated.

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Six group winners and runners-up will advance to the knockout stage, along with the four best third-placed teams.