Goals galore in Asian World Cup qualifiers

Doha - Qatar recorded their biggest victory in international football when they eased past tiny Bhutan 15-0 while the UAE handed Malaysia a 10-0 rout in the Asian Zone World Cup qualifiers on Thursday.

Qatar's win in Doha bettered their earlier record against Afghanistan and Lebanon whom they had beaten 8-0 in the 1980s.

Bhutan, a remote Himalayan kingdom, known more for its philosophy of Gross National Happiness than for any notable sporting achievement - its national sport is archery - endured a nightmarish outing in Doha and trailed 8-0 at half-time in the Group C match that saw Ali Asad and Mohammed Muntari notch up hat-tricks for the hosts.

Bhutan's Japanese coach Norio Tsukitate had said before the match that his players were more worried about the desert heat than their opponents because they were more used to playing 2400 metres above sea level.

But although the match was held at the fully airconditioned Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Bhutan still struggled and failed to put up a challenge allowing Qatar to score their second victory after a scrappy 1-0 win over the Maldives earlier in the tournament.

Malaysia's 10-0 defeat to the UAE in Abu Dhabi, however, was more surprising considering the South East Asians actually do boast a decent sporting culture in the region.

However by half-time UAE were 7-0 ahead leaving Malaysia with no chance to stage a comeback in the Group A match.

For the UAE, Ahmed Khalil scored four goals while Ali Ahmed Makhbout had three as they notched up their second win in as many matches.

Elsewhere in West Asia, Iran defeated Guam 6-0, while Iraq beat Chinese Taipei 5-1