2024-01-17 21:45:35
Croatian Petar Šigert, coach of Tajikistan, joined the list of those praising the level of Akram Afif, the star of the Qatar national team, in the Asian Football Cup, following he scored the winning goal once morest Tajikistan and ensured the qualification of the defending champion and the host to the final 16.
“Al-Annabi” secured the top spot in Group A following the end of the second round with 6 points, 4 points ahead of China, second in the standings, while the Tajikistan team occupies third place with one point on goal difference from Lebanon, which is at the bottom of the standings.
Akram Afif opens the scoring for the Qatar national team ????????⚽️#Asia Cup | #AsiaCup2023 | #Tajikistan_Qatar#AsianCup2023 | #Qatar2023 pic.twitter.com/FTmOFNyRe3
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 17, 2024
Qatar, the defending champion, achieved its ninth consecutive victory in the last 9 matches of the continental championship, which began with a victory over Lebanon on January 9, 2019.
The top scorer of the Qatari Al-Sadd Club won the Best Player of the Match award for the second time in a row.
In numbers: Qatar’s victory over Tajikistan in the Asian Cup. pic.twitter.com/lc3g6ahDNd
– Al Jazeera Net Sports (@AJASports) January 17, 2024
Siegert praised Afif’s performance and told reporters following the match, “I have to accept that. The goal was amazing. He is a smart player. He was perfect, and his timing (in shooting) was good.”
Qatar coach Marquez Lopez praised Afif following he scored two goals in a 3-0 win over Lebanon in the opening of the tournament.
Afif, who completed Qatar’s goals in the 3-1 win over Japan in the 2019 Asian Cup final in Abu Dhabi, opened Qatar’s goals in the current edition of the tournament in the 3-0 win over Lebanon.
Video |
‘Terrible’ Akram Afif scored the 100th goal to put our national team in the lead #Qatar_Lebanon #ComeAsia | #AsiaCup2023 #Qatar2023 | #AsianCup2023 #Asia_Cup_Al-Kass_Channels #See_the_cup pic.twitter.com/D4hXPswLw9– Al Kass Channels (@AlkassTVSports) January 12, 2024
The Spanish coach told reporters – following the opening match of the Asian Cup – “Akram was chosen as the best player in the match. He is a high-level player, and he deserves that.”
Lebanon’s coach, Miodrag Radulovic, lavished praise on Afif, the Qatari Al-Sadd player.
He said, “Akram Afif is one of the best players in Asia, and he can play in Europe. He is a leader in this team and his capabilities decided tonight’s match.”
Afif tops the 2023 Asian Cup scoring charts with 3 goals, a goal difference from more than one player, the most notable of whom are:
- Japanese Takumi Minamino.
- Jordanian duo Musa Al-Taamari and Mahmoud Al-Mardi.
- South Korean Lee Kang-in.
The goal
Akram Afif scores the third for our national team. Watch the goal in the voice of commentator Khalil Al Balushi#Qatar_Lebanon #ComeAsia #AsiaCup2023
#Qatar2023 #AsianCup2023 #Asia_Cup_Al-Kass_Channels #See_the_cup pic.twitter.com/tdioy8mh2i– Al Kass Channels (@AlkassTVSports) January 12, 2024
Afif said – following the victory over Tajikistan – “I congratulate the fans of our national team on the victory and the well-deserved qualification at the top of the first group following a strong match once morest a difficult competitor, but we dealt with the details to achieve what was required.”
Qatar will conclude the group stage competitions in the Asian Cup once morest China on January 22.
The first and second placed teams in the six groups qualify for the quarter-finals, along with the four best third-placed teams.
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