Explaining Akram Afif's 'magic' in the 2023 Asian Cup final

Playing from the start and playing alongside his close friend Almoez Ali, striker Akram Afif made the Jordanian defense work hard. In the 22nd minute, from a counter-attack on the left wing, the player wearing the number 11 shirt of the Qatar team turned the ball intelligently to eliminate a Jordanian defender before being fouled by Ali Olwan. Referee Ma Ning stood right behind and did not hesitate to point to the penalty spot. Facing goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila, Akram Afif made no mistake to put the Qatar team ahead.

Immediately after that situation, Akram Afif went to the camera and pulled out a card with his own picture on it from his leg. The 27-year-old star of the Qatar team also performed a magic trick, transforming the card from a picture into an "S" shaped card, making the fans at Lusail Stadium excited. On social networks, Akram Afif's interesting celebration was also constantly mentioned and became the most searched keyword on social network X (formerly Twitter).

Akram Afif had an interesting celebration after scoring the opening goal

According to Al Rayal , Akram Afif's celebration was intended to be a tribute to his wife. The newspaper wrote: "Akram Afif scored an important goal in the final and quickly became the center of attention on social media. The player transformed his card from a picture to a card with the letter "S" in a unique way. According to what Akram Afif revealed before the match, if he scored a goal in the final, he would dedicate it to his wife. The letter "S" is the first letter of his wife's name. A meaningful goal and a very meaningful action."

In addition to the goal, Akram Afif brought a classy performance in the first half. According to Squawka statistics, the player born in 1996 had 30 touches of the ball but fired 3 shots, with a 100% success rate. In addition, he had 3 situations that opened up scoring opportunities for his teammates. Akram Afif was also the highest-rated star in the first half of the final with a score of 8.0.

Akram Afif had a great performance in the first half of the final

The opening goal also helped Akram Afif equal the record of the top scorer of the 2023 Asian Cup - Aymen Hussein (Iraq national team) with 6 goals. At the same time, he also has a "huge" record as the first player to have 2 goals in 2 consecutive Asian Cup finals. At the 2019 Asian Cup, Akram Afif also contributed 1 goal, helping the Qatar team defeat Japan 3-1. Coincidentally, both of these goals were scored from penalty kicks.

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