QATAR - Hosts Qatar defended their Asian Cup title, beating Jordan 3-1 in the final thanks to three successful penalties from Akram Afif.
The match has ended.
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 pressed forward in Qatar's half, but a two-goal lead proved too difficult for them with little time remaining.
Hattrick for Afif from the penalty
The referee consulted VAR again. Afif broke through to face Abulaila, then fell after colliding with the Jordan goalkeeper. After reviewing the situation carefully, the referee determined that Afif was not offside and was fouled by Abulaila. Qatar was awarded their third penalty of the match.
Just like the two previous times, Afif had little difficulty scoring from the penalty spot. The number 11 player completed a hat-trick from penalties and helped Qatar move closer to the championship.
The second half had 13 minutes of added time.
Jordan escaped a red card.
After Al Arab provoked Al Naimat, Al Naimat retaliated violently. The referee, after consulting VAR, upheld the yellow card for the Jordan player.
Afif nearly scored a hat-trick.
Qatar's number 11 star took a skillful free kick, curling the ball over the Jordan wall. Goalkeeper Abulaila was alert and made a timely save.
Afif was the top scorer at the 2023 Asian Cup.
With seven goals in the tournament, Afif will become the top scorer, one goal ahead of Aymed Hussein (Iraq).
Afif successfully converted a penalty, giving Qatar a 2-1 lead over Jordan in the final. Photo: Reuters
2-1 for Qatar
A few 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 again beat goalkeeper Abulaila from 11 meters.
1-1 for Jordan
From a cross from the right wing, Yazan controlled the ball neatly and then fired a powerful shot into the Qatar net. The goal was a well-deserved reward after Jordan's efforts to press forward.
Barsham shines again.
Within minutes, the Qatar goalkeeper saved three dangerous shots from Jordan. After Barsham blocked Olwan's shot from a tight angle, Jordan had another good chance. Al Rawabdeh attempted a skillful backheel from close range, but the ball went wide of the post.
Jordan missed two consecutive opportunities.
Within minutes, goalkeeper Barsham made two crucial saves for Qatar. The number 22 goalkeeper blocked a powerful low shot from Ehsan Haadad from the right wing, and then pushed away a volley from center-back Al Arab from a subsequent corner kick.
Jordan pushes forward.
Jordan pushed forward in search of an equalizer at the start of the second half, but Qatar maintained a solid defense in their own half. A notable moment early in the half was Al Mardi's cross that went across the face of the goal.
The second half has begun.
The first half has ended.
Jordan had two consecutive chances in first-half stoppage time, but Al Tamari failed to convert either. Hosts Qatar led 1-0 after the first 45 minutes.
Jordan nearly equalized.
Receiving a pass from the left wing, Al Tamari took a shot that bounced off the ground inside the penalty area. The ball struck defender Mohammed Waad and went out of bounds.
Afif injured
The Qatari star twisted his ankle after a challenge with Al Tamari of Jordan. Afif had to leave the field on a stretcher, but returned to the pitch just a minute later.
The first half had six minutes of added time.
Jordan mounted a strong comeback at the end of the half and were awarded several dangerous free kicks on the right flank, thanks to the mobility of Al Tamari and Al Mardi.
Qatar nearly took the lead.
Defender Lucas Mendes joined the attack and produced a dangerous header, forcing goalkeeper Yazeed to push the ball out for a corner. Qatar is now in control after taking the lead.
Afif is most likely to be the top scorer.
With his opening goal for Qatar, Akram Afif now has six goals, the same as Aymen Hussein of Iraq. The Qatari player will become the top scorer if he has more assists than Hussein. In the 2019 Asian Cup, when Qatar won the title, Afif was the top assist provider of the tournament (5 assists).
Afif (number 11) celebrates the opening goal with his teammates on the pitch at Lusail Stadium. Photo: Reuters.
Qatar opened the scoring from a penalty.
From the left wing, Afif sprinted past Nasib. The Jordan defender, number 3, fouled the Qatar striker inside the penalty area. Immediately after Afif fell, the referee pointed to the penalty spot.
From about 11 meters, Afif fired a low shot to the right of goalkeeper Yazeed. The Jordanian goalkeeper waited for the shot before diving to make the save, so his reaction was slow and he couldn't make the save.
Afif missed
After seven minutes of play, the match saw its first real chance. Akram Afif broke down the left wing and fired a shot from a tight angle straight at the Jordan goalkeeper.
The match has started.
Qatar kicks off first.
Qatar players boost their morale ahead of the final match. Photo: Reuters.
Qatar players warm up before the match at the Lusail Stadium. Photo: Reuters.
The Lusail Stadium before kick-off. The stadium, with a capacity of 89,000, was also the venue for the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France. Photo: Reuters
Jordanian fans at the Lusail Stadium, the venue for the Asian Cup final. Photo: Reuters.
Qatari fans are present in Lusail to cheer on the home team. Photo: Reuters
A view of the stands at Lusail Stadium before kick-off. Photo: Reuters
Starting lineups for 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 are the reigning Asian Cup champions, while Jordan are making their first appearance in the final. Four years ago, in the most recent tournament, Jordan lost to Vietnam in the round of 16. This year, they made history with a "fairy tale" journey.
Jordan only advanced from the group stage thanks to a "lucky draw" for the best third-placed teams. However, coach Hussein Ammouta's team surprised the audience with one unexpected result after another in the knockout matches. They came from behind to beat Iraq 3-2 with two last-minute goals in the round of 16, overcame the "dark horse" Tajikistan 1-0 in the quarter-finals, and convincingly defeated South Korea 2-0 in the semi-finals.
Jordanian players celebrate the opening goal in their semi-final match against South Korea on February 6. Photo: Yonhap
Conversely, Qatar topped their group with three wins out of three matches. However, coach Marquez Lopez's team showed inconsistent form in the knockout rounds. They beat Palestine 2-1 in the round of 16, drew 1-1 with Uzbekistan and won 3-2 on penalties in the quarter-finals, and were somewhat fortunate to beat Iran 3-2 in the semi-finals.
Jordan is one of the three highest-scoring teams 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 host team has only let in four goals, while Jordan has only conceded five.
This is the first time Jordan has faced Qatar in the history of the Asian Cup. Prior to this year's tournament, Jordan had only participated in the Asian Cup finals four times, with their best performance being reaching the quarter-finals (2004, 2011).
Jordan and Qatar have met a total of 24 times in the past, including two times in Asian Cup qualifiers. In 1984, Jordan lost to Qatar 0-2 at home. In 2000, Jordan drew 2-2 with Qatar in Doha. The head-to-head record between the two teams favors Qatar, who have won 50% of the matches (12 out of 24). Jordan has only won against Qatar 7 times, and the two teams have drawn the remaining 5 matches.
Jordan has reason to be confident heading into tonight's final, having defeated Qatar just before the 2023 Asian Cup. In a friendly match on January 5th in Doha, Qatar lost to Jordan 1-2. In that game, Afif opened the scoring for Qatar in the 15th minute, but Al-Naimat and Ali Olwan scored early in the second half to give Jordan a convincing victory. Currently, both Afif and Al-Naimat are prominent stars at the 2023 Asian Cup.
Vy Anh - Vnexpress.net
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