Qatar won the title for the second time in a row. The team presented an unforgettable gift to Qatar`s home fans.
Qatar won 3-1 with a penalty hat-trick by “Ace” Akram Afif (Al-Sad) in the 2023 Asian Cup final match between Jordan and Qatar at Lusail Stadium in Al-Dain, Qatar, at 0 a.m. on the 11th (Korea time).
Qatar won the Asian Cup title for the second consecutive time following the previous one in 2019. It also achieved two wins in total. It beat Australia, Kuwait, and Iraq, which each recorded one win, to be on par with Korea. Korea won the first Asian Cup championship in 1956 and the second in 1960. Japan (Tongsan, four times) topped the list in 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2011. Iran and Saudi Arabia each won the Asian Cup championship three times each.
Jordan, on the other hand, failed for the first time in its history to win the title. Nevertheless, the team made it to the final after advancing to the semifinals of the Asian Cup for the first time in its history.
It was the final match that broke everyone’s expectations. Until the Asian Cup was held, Qatar and Jordan were far from the favorites. In the FIFA rankings, Qatar ranked 58th and Jordan 87th. Qatar was the winner of the previous event, but its team’s performance has weakened compared to five years ago. Following its lackluster elimination at the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the team failed to produce any clear results in the warm-up matches. Expectations were downbeat in the Asian Cup. However, it was different in the Asian Cup. After ranking No. 1 in all three Group A matches, Qatar beat Palestine in the round of 16, and Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals. It even beat Iran, a strong contender in the semifinals.
Jordan also made it to the finals after writing a drama. It managed to secure a berth to advance to the round of 16 teams by ranking third in Group E (one win, one draw and one loss). However, it beat Iraq in the round of 16 strongest teams. It was losing 1-2, but scored consecutive goals in the second half of extra time. After defeating Tajikistan in the quarterfinals, the team secured a 2-0 full victory against South Korea led by coach Jurgen Klinsmann in the semifinals. Qatar laughed at the two teams’ showdowns in the final.
Qatar pulled out a 3-5-2 formation. Two top players Afif, Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail SC) were Youssouf Abdurisah (Al-Sad), and Mohammed Wad (Al-Sad), who served as wingbacks on both sides. Jossam Abdul-Salam (Al-Arabi), Ahmed Pash (Al-Arabi), and Hasan Al-Haidos (Al-Sad) coordinated the midfield. The three-backs were Tarek Salman (Al-Sad), Almahdi Ali Mukhtar (Al-Grafah), Lucas Mendes, and the goalkeeper was Meshal Barsham (Al-Sad).
Jordan countered with a 3-4-3 formation. Yazan Alnaimat (Al-Ahli), Ali Riyadh Oulwan (Al-Shamal), and Moussa Altamari (Montpelier) played as three-top players. The midfielders were Mahmoud Almardi (Keda Darul Aman), Noor Alawadeh (Slingor), Nizar Alashdan (Al-Faisali) and Ehsan Haddad (Al-Faisali). The three-backers were Salem Al-Azalin (Al-Faisali), Yazan Adu Al-Rab (Slingor), Abdallah Nasib (Al-Hussein), and the goalkeeper’s gloves were worn by Yazid Abdullaria.
The Lusail Stadium can accommodate a huge crowd of more than 80,000. The shouts of Qatari soccer fans were even louder. Qatar players also cheered up from the beginning thanks to the storm’s cheering. Qatar sent the ball to its ace, Afif, whenever it had a chance. Afif had a good opportunity from the 7th minute of the first half, but the Jordanian goalkeeper narrowed the angle well. Afif’s shot from inside the penalty box in the 9th minute of the first half was weak. It wasn’t until the 16th minute of the first half that Jordan elevated the mood with Alnaimat’s mid-range shot. However, the goalkeeper was blocked.
Qatar’s first goal was scored. Again, Afif did it. In the 20th minute of the first half, Afif penetrated the penalty box with his fast speed. Jordanian defender Abdallah Nasib, who felt a crisis, forced his way in from behind, and Afif tripped and fell. The referee declared a penalty kick. Afif calmly kicked himself as a kicker. Afif performed a magic ceremony of taking out a card containing his appearance from his shin guard and changing it to the alphabet “S” for a moment.
Qatar continued to attack. Lucas Mendes attempted a powerful header from a corner kick in the 33rd minute of the first half. Jordan avoided an additional run thanks to Yazid Abdullaria’s super save. Afif was knocked down by a foul on his opponent in the extra time of the first half. It was a dizzying moment for Qatar, but it was not a serious injury. He kept playing 헤라카지노.
Jordan, which needed an equalizer, was firmly prepared in the second half. It reversed the sluggish mood and launched a counterattack. Qatar’s defense began to panic as well. Jordanian striker Ali Riyadh Oulan had an overhead kick at 12 minutes in the second half, and Essan Haddad penetrated the side and fired a sharp shot at 14 minutes in the second half. Although the goal was not scored, Jordan began to regain confidence. At a corner kick at 15 minutes in the second half, Noor Alawadeh attempted a fantastic volley shot. This time, the goalkeeper was blocked well.
Jordan even fired a shower shot in the 16th minute of the second half. Oulan’s sensational shot from the back was caught in a side net.
Jordan finally paid off. Jordanian striker Yazan Alnaimat scored the equalizer at the 22nd minute of the second half. He caught Esan Haddad’s cross through smooth ball trapping on the right side and fired a powerful shot to end the game. Qatar goalkeeper Meshal Barsham, who showed super saves throughout the game, also failed to block him. The score is 1-1.
Jordan, however, failed to maintain the mood. Qatar that seemed set to collapse immediately succeeded in counterattack. During counterattack, Qatar`s substitute Ismael Mohammad (Al-Duhail SC) was tripped over by his opponent Mahmoud al-Mardi. The referee did not declare foul at first. However, he changed the decision through VAR. He declared a penalty kick. Afif was the kicker again, and fired a strong shot to score an additional goal.
With this goal, Afif became the top scorer in the competition. Up until the final match, Afif had five goals, trailing Aymen Hussein (Al Jazeera, six goals), who was the top scorer. However, Afif made a great comeback in the final match. On the day, Qatari players showed camaraderie by conceding a kick to Afif whenever they got a penalty kick. Afif also reciprocated his teammates’ trust.
Afif won a penalty kick himself in the extra time of the second half. He turned after facing the goalkeeper one-on-one with tremendous speed. Afif tripped over the goalkeeper, and the referee declared a penalty after checking the VAR. Again, the kicker was Afif. He scored a decisive goal. With this goal, Afif became the first player to score a hat trick in the history of the Asian Cup final. He scored his eighth goal of the tournament and became the top scorer.
Qatar`s defense has maintained its lead by maintaining concentration until the end. It won the 2023 Qatar Asian Cup championship.
