Incredible drama as Qatar Under-19s goalkeeper gets sent-off during penalty shootout… before outfield player saves the day with stunning stop

PENALTY shootouts are always good for a bit of drama… but this is something else.

Qatar were taking on Iraq in an Asia Under-19s Championship qualifier – with the winner automatically heading to the tournament next summer.

But with the two teams locked at 1-1 – it went to the dreaded spot-kick showdown.

During the nervy affair, Qatar No1 Shehab Mamdouh thought he’d saved the kick to send his country to the tournament.

As the Qatari squad leapt around in jubilation, suddenly the referee intervened with several blows of the whistle and some frantic gesturing.

Incredibly, the ref showed the ‘keeper a yellow card, his second of the game – to send him for an early bath.

The match official considered Mamdouh to have moved off his line too early in saving the kick.

With no substitutions available, Qatar were forced to stick an outfield player between the sticks for the rest of the shootout.

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Mamdouh trudged off, visibly moved to tears as he head straight to the tunnel, unable to watch the retaken kick.

Meanwhile, his replacement between the sticks threw on the gloves and marched to the line, looking comparably tiny between the posts.

More unbelievably still, the Qatari No8 SAVED the decisive penalty of the shootout to send his nation to the Asia Under-19s Championship.

Mamdouh – halfway towards the tunnel – is pulled back to join in the celebrations as his country qualified for next summer’s tournament.

However, the loss was not all doom and gloom for Iraq’s youngsters, who finished top of the second-placed teams table, with four points from their two games.