The Sudan-born 22-year-old and his team mate Bassam Al Rawi were the subject of a protest by the United Arab Emirates FA over their eligibility to represent Qatar which was dismissed by the Asian Football Confederation only hours before kickoff.
Ali's strike combined with a 27th minute goal from Abdulaziz Hatem gave the 2022 World Cup hosts a surprise 2-0 lead at halftime at the Zayed Sports City Stadium.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Toby Davis)
