Magical Akram Afif bags hat-trick in Jordan vs Qatar as hosts retain the AFC Asian Cup in style
Jordan vs Qatar: An Overview
Dark horses Jordan faced tournament hosts and defending champions Qatar in the AFC Asian Cup Final on Saturday, February 10 at the Lusail Stadium.
Jordan entered this game on the back of a decent run of form. However, they barely made it into the knockouts, having finished third in Group E behind Bahrain and South Korea. They qualified as the best third-placed team. Following that, their giant-killing began as they defeated Iraq (3-2), Tajikistan (1-0) and South Korea (2-0) to reach their first-ever final. They were looking to put their best foot forward.
Qatar, on the other hand, made light work of the group stages as they comfortably topped Group A with three wins in as many games. They then knocked out Palestine (2-1), Uzbekistan (1-1; 3-2 pens.) and Iran (3-2) to reach their second AFC Asian Cup final in as many editions. Having won the tournament last time around, they were looking to defend their crown on home turf.
Jordan vs Qatar: Match Report & Analysis
Hosts Qatar retained the AFC Asian Cup in style as they defeated Jordan 3-1 at the Lusail Stadium on February 10.
Qatar began the game on the front foot and looked threatening from the get-go. Jordan were slow to start but soon looked fluid in their moves as the teams shared the ball almost equally in the first half. However, a clumsy foul by Abdallah Nasib was Jordan’s undoing as the defender conceded a penalty for a foul on Akram Afif. The forward stepped up and scored to make it 1-0 after 22 minutes.
Neither side created much after that as Yazeed Abulaila did well to deny the hosts any more goals in the first period, which ended 1-0.
Jordan began the second half well and were desperate to get back into the game. Striker Yazan Al-Naimat scored with a thumping effort after a delightful first touch to level the game in the 67th minute. However, fouls in the box came back to haunt the Jordanians as Mahmoud Al-Mardi caught Qatar’s Ismael Mohammed in the box. A penalty was awarded following VAR checks and Akram Afif stepped up to score his second of the night.
Yazan Al-Naimat and Jordan continued to fight until the end but to no avail. A foul on Afif by goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila was the final nail in the coffin as Qatar were awarded a third penalty following a VAR check. Akram Afif duly stepped up and completed his first-ever hat-trick for his nation to win their second AFC Asian Cup title.
On that note, let’s take a look at the top performers from the game.
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Jordan vs Qatar: Top Performers
Akram Afif – Qatar (10/10)
Afif had the game of his life in probably one of his nation’s biggest games in recent times. He attempted six shots and all of them were on target. Afif played one key pass, won eight duels and also won two penalties for his side with his quick footwork.
Afif was a thorn in Jordan’s side throughout the game in an energetic display. He stepped up to take all three penalties Qatar were awarded and converted all of them in a clinical performance by the 27-year-old.
Meshaal Aissa Barsham – Qatar (7.5/10)
The Qatari custodian put in a composed performance between the sticks and made crucial saves in key moments to keep Jordan at bay. Barsham used his body and positioning skills to perfection to narrow down angles and make himself big enough to make saves.
He made three saves in the first half and followed it up with two more in the second half to help his team win the game.
Yazan Al-Naimat – Jordan (7.5/10)
The Jordanian striker put in a combative performance and put his body on the line on multiple occasions to get a shot off. He scored the equalizer in the 67th minute after bringing down Ehsan Haddad’s cross with a deft touch, before smashing the half-volley into the goal with great power.
Al-Naimat attempted a total of three shots, of which two were on target. He also won four duels and made one interception and one tackle as he went down fighting.
Jordan vs Qatar: Match Point
There were two clear factors that led to Qatar’s victory in this game. One was Akram Afif’s relentlessness and willingness to run at defenders and get into danger areas for Jordan to defend. The forward’s movement caused opponents a lot of trouble as they struggled to mark him.
The second factor was clumsy defending by Jordan inside their own 18-yard box. Prior to this game, they conceded just one penalty, that too in their second game of the tournament in a 2-2 draw against South Korea. Their disciplinary record since then was pretty good but the occasion of a final seemed to get the better of them.
Qatar, having done it before, obliged once again to lift the cup.
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