QATAR-Hosting team Qatar defended their title at the Asian Cup, beating Jordan 3-1 in the final thanks to three successful penalties by Akram Afif.
The match is over
Qatar defended their Asian Cup title, beating Jordan 3-1 in the final thanks to a penalty hat-trick from Akram Afif.
Jordan attacks in vain
Jordan poured into the Qatar field, but the two-goal gap was too difficult for them as time was running out.
Hattrick for Afif from penalty
The referee consulted VAR again. Afif broke free to face Abulaila, then fell after colliding with the Jordanian goalkeeper. After reviewing the situation, the referee determined that Afif was not offside and that Abulaila had fouled him. Qatar was awarded the third penalty of the match.
Just like the previous two times, Afif had no difficulty scoring from 11 meters away. Player number 11 scored a hat-trick from the penalty and helped Qatar get closer to the championship.
The second half has 13 minutes of extra time.
Jordan escaped red card
After Al Arab provoked, Al Naimat retaliated violently. The referee, after consulting VAR, upheld the yellow card for the Jordanian player.
Afif almost scored a hat-trick
Qatar's number 11 star took a technical free kick, sending the ball over the Jordan wall. Goalkeeper Abulaila was alert and dived to block it in time.
Afif is the top scorer of Asian Cup 2023
With seven goals in the tournament, Afif will become the tournament's top scorer, one goal more than Aymed Hussein (Iraq).
Afif's successful penalty kick helped Qatar lead Jordan 2-1 in the final. Photo: Reuters
2-1 for Qatar
Minutes after Ismaeel Mohammad fell in the penalty area, the referee consulted VAR and decided that Al Mardi (Jordan) had committed a foul. Qatar was awarded a second penalty. Just like the previous time, Afif beat goalkeeper Abulaila from 11 meters away.
1-1 for Jordan
From a cross from the right wing, Yazan controlled the ball neatly and then shot hard into the Qatar net. The goal was a worthy result after Jordan's efforts to pressure the field.
Barsham shines again
In just a few minutes, the Qatar goalkeeper blocked three dangerous shots from Jordan. After Barsham blocked Olwan's shot from a tight angle, Jordan had another good chance. Al Rawabdeh skillfully backheeled the ball from close range, but the ball went wide of the post.
Jordan missed two chances in a row
In just a few minutes, goalkeeper Barsham saved Qatar twice. The No. 22 goalkeeper blocked Ehsan Haadad's low shot from the right wing, then continued to push the ball away from center-back Al Arab's volley, from the following corner kick.
Jordan goes high
Jordan pushed up their formation to find an equalizer at the beginning of the second half, but Qatar maintained their solidity in their home field. The notable situation at the beginning of the half was the cross that went across the goal by Al Mardi (Jordan).
The second half begins.
First half ends
Jordan had two consecutive chances in the first half's stoppage time, but Al Tamari failed to score. Host Qatar led 1-0 after the first 45 minutes.
Jordan almost equalized
Receiving a pass from the left wing, Al Tamari shot into the penalty area. The ball hit defender Mohammed Waad and went out of bounds.
Afif injury
The Qatar star suffered a sprained ankle after a challenge with Jordan's Al Tamari. Afif had to be carried off on a stretcher, but returned to the pitch just a minute later.
The first half has six minutes of injury time.
Jordan came out strong late in the half and were awarded a couple of dangerous free-kicks down the right flank, thanks to the movement of Al Tamari and Al Mardi.
Qatar almost increased the score
Center-back Lucas Mendes joined the attack and headed dangerously, forcing goalkeeper Yazeed to push the ball out for a corner kick. Qatar is taking the initiative after taking the lead.
Afif is likely to be the top scorer
With the opening goal for Qatar, Akram Afif has the same six goals as Iraq's Aymen Hussein. The Qatari player will become the top scorer with more assists than Hussein. At the 2019 Asian Cup, when Qatar won the championship, Afif was the player with the most assists in the tournament (5 times).
Afif (No. 11) celebrates the opening goal with his teammates at Lusail Stadium. Photo: Reuters
Qatar opened the scoring from a penalty
From the left wing, Afif accelerated past Nasib. Jordan's number 3 defender fouled the Qatar striker in the penalty area. Immediately after Afif fell, the referee pointed to the penalty spot.
From 11 meters away, Afif shot low to the right of goalkeeper Yazeed. The Jordanian goalkeeper waited for his opponent to shoot before diving to block, so his reflexes were slow and he could not save the goal.
Afif missed
After seven minutes of play, the match saw the first chance. Akram Afif broke through on the left wing and fired a shot past the Jordanian goalkeeper from a tight angle.
The match begins
Qatar serve first.
Qatar players gear up for the final match. Photo: Reuters
Qatar players warm up before the match, at Lusail Stadium. Photo: Reuters
Lusail Stadium before kick-off. The 89,000-capacity stadium is also the venue for the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France. Photo: Reuters
Jordan fans at Lusail Stadium - the venue for the Asian Cup final. Photo: Reuters
Qatari fans are present in Lusail to cheer for the host team. Photo: Reuters
A corner of the Lusail stadium stands before the match. Photo: Reuters
Starting lineup of both teams
Qatar: Meshaal Barsham; Almahdi Ali, Mohammed Waad, Tarek Salman, Yusuf Abdurisag, Hassan Al Haydos, Akram Afif, Lucas Mendes, Almoez Ali, Ahmed Fathy, Jassem Gaber.
Jordan: Yazeed Abulaila; Abdallah Nasib, Yazan Al Arab, Noor Al Rawabdeh, Ali Olwan, Mousa Tamari, Yazan Al Naimat, Mahmoud Al Mardi, Salem Al Ajalin, Nizar Al Rashdan, Ehsan Haddad.
Qatar is the current Asian Cup champion, while Jordan is making its first appearance in the final. Four years ago, in the last tournament, Jordan lost to Vietnam in the round of 16. This year, they made history with their "fairytale" journey.
Jordan only made it through the group stage thanks to the "survival ticket" for the third-placed teams with good records. However, coach Hussein Ammouta and his team took the audience from one surprise to another in the knockout matches. They beat Iraq 3-2 thanks to two last-minute goals in the round of 16, defeated "dark horse" Tajikistan 1-0 in the quarter-finals and defeated South Korea 2-0 convincingly in the semi-finals.
Jordan players celebrate the opening goal in the semi-final match against South Korea on February 6. Photo: Yonhap
On the other hand, Qatar topped the group stage with three wins. However, coach Marquez Lopez and his team showed inconsistent performance in the knockout matches. They beat Palestine 2-1 in the round of 16, drew 1-1 with Uzbekistan, won 3-2 on penalties in the quarter-finals and were somewhat lucky to beat Iran 3-2 in the semi-finals.
Jordan is one of the three teams with the most goals in the tournament. Along with Iran and Japan, they have scored 12 goals. Qatar is not far behind these three teams, with 11 goals. In terms of goals conceded, the home team has only conceded four, while Jordan has only conceded five.
This is the first time Jordan has met Qatar in the history of the Asian Cup. Before this year's tournament, Jordan had only participated in the Asian Cup finals four times, with the best result being reaching the quarterfinals (2004, 2011).
Jordan and Qatar have met a total of 24 times in the past, including twice in Asian Cup qualifiers. In 1984, Jordan lost 0-2 at home to Qatar. In 2000, Jordan held Qatar to a 2-2 draw in Doha. The head-to-head record between the two teams is in favor of Qatar, who have won 50% of their matches (12 out of 24). Jordan have only beaten Qatar 7 times and the two teams have drawn the other 5.
Jordan have every right to be confident going into tonight's final, having defeated Qatar just before the 2023 Asian Cup. In a friendly match on January 5 in Doha, Qatar lost 1-2 to Jordan. In that match, Afif opened the scoring for Qatar in the 15th minute, but Al-Naimat and Ali Olwan scored in the early second half to help Jordan win convincingly. Currently, both Afif and Al-Naimat are prominent stars at the 2023 Asian Cup.
Vy Anh - Vnexpress.net
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