Qatar Beats Jordan, Crown Asian Cup In A Historic Victory At Homeland (Photo on X #AsianCup2023 @afcasiancup)

Qatar won the Asian Cup beating Jordan in 3-1 in a historic match held at Lusail Stadium on Saturday night in front of about 86,500 fans and the Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. In its first play in the Asian Cup final, Jordan lost to Qatar, with Qatar”s Akram Afif converting all three penalties precisely and securing hat-trick goals for Qatar.

During the first half, Akram Afif scored the first goal in the 22 minutes with a penalty kick. During the second half, Jordan’s Yazan Al-Naimat scored its first goal, giving a big relief for the team.

However, a few minutes later, Afif again scored his second penalty and then third penalty goal, securing Qatar’s victory. However, Afif had been Qatar’s star forward in the final, securing hat-trick goals with his attacking skills, helping Qatar climb the ladder. He also earned the Golden Boot award for the torment.

Though Jordan’s Yazan Al-Naimat could provide initial hopes for the country, it failed to resist the attack from Qatar in the final minutes. Afif’s second penalty gave Qatar confidence and a lead to intensify its attacks.

“Scoring penalties is because of the confidence my teammates had in me. It’s not about technique or choosing the angle, it’s the feeling of having my team behind me,” Afif said.

Analysing the team’s performance, Jordan coach Hussein Ammouta said that the team were not focused in the first half. “We made mistakes. There were easy opportunities to score but we didn’t. The timing of the two penalties [in the second half] was harsh. But I want to congratulate the players. They’ve gained confidence and opened horizons for the future. Maybe we can win in future tournaments,” he added.

Among others, Fifa president Gianni Infantino was also present during the match at Lusail.