Qatar crowned Asian Cup champions again with 3-1 win over Jordan

Both Qatar and Jordan deserve an applause after the Asian Cup final at Lusail Stadium. Qatar successfully defended their title after winning in 2019, while Jordan played their first-ever Asian Cup final. Both teams started the game with no hesitation of attacking for the first 10 minutes before Jordan started to dominate in the next 10. However, Qatar scored first in the 21st minute when Akram Afif was fouled inside the box and successfully converted the penalty.

The remaining minutes of the first half saw Qatar increasing pressure to seek the second goal. During the injury time, Qatar fans skipped a heartbeat when their star Afif was carried out of the field on a stretcher but relieved when he returned without a scratch.

In the second half, Jordan put immense pressure on the host to find the equalizer and their relentless efforts paid off with Yazan Al-Naimat’s goal in the 67th minute. However, that joy was short-lived when Qatar got another penalties two minutes later, after Mahmoud Al-Mardi fouled Ismaeel Mohammad in the box. The referee checked the play on VAR before pointing at the penalty spot again and as usual, Afif converted it with composure to get Qatar ahead.

Jordan got right back to the chase after conceding, but their attacks were not as dangerous as the early second half due to low stamina. They even conceded the third penalty in the second minute of injury time, after goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila fouled Afif.

From the spot, Afif completed his hattrick of penalties. Jordan played well in this game, but their defense made many mistakes and the attackers couldn’t fix it as there was simply not enough time. The final score is 3-1 for Qatar.