Sports News of Sunday, 11 February 2024
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2024-02-11Qatar wins back-to-back AFC Asian Cup
Qatar wins 2023 AFC Asian Cup
Qatar has secured their second consecutive AFC Asian Cup victory.
The host team triumphed over Jordan 3-1 on Saturday, largely due to the heroics of Akram Afif, who scored three goals from the penalty spot in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup final.
This was enough for Qatar to emerge as champions. Jordan, appearing in their first-ever Asian Cup
Read full articlefinal, did manage to fight back after conceding a goal at halftime.
Yazan Al-Naimat drew level in the 67th minute, but Qatar quickly regained the lead thanks to another penalty. They added a third goal in injury time to seal the win.
The match consistently followed the same pattern throughout. Jordan appeared composed early on but ultimately crumbled under the pressure of Qatar's attacks.
In the 22nd minute, Abdallah Nasib's foul on Afif inside the box resulted in a penalty, which Afif converted.
Afif celebrated his goal by performing a magic trick with cards, flipping a picture of himself into an "s," dedicated to his wife.
He went on to score two more goals, securing his first-ever international hat trick and becoming the first player to achieve this feat in an Asian Cup final.
In the second half, Jordan managed to put Qatar's goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham under pressure before Al-Naimat scored, but Qatar's experience proved to be the deciding factor.
The team has been successful over the last five years, winning the 2019 Asian Cup, qualifying for the World Cup, and competing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Afif had a historic day, not only scoring the first-ever hat trick in an Asian Cup final but also securing the Golden Boot with eight goals and a total of 11 goal contributions.
Jordan put up a valiant effort, but they still made costly mistakes in the box. Qatar won Group A, defeating Palestine, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Jordan to win the tournament.
Marquez Lopez led a composed side that attacked with ease, and their hard work paid off. Qatari soccer is on the rise, and the team became the first to win back-to-back Asian championships since Japan in 2000 and 2004.
