With a hat-trick of penalties Akram Afifthe Qatar team became two-time champion of the Asian Cup, by defeating 3-1 Jordan in the final, played at the Lusail stadium.
Akram Afif scored the three goals for the Qatar title EFE/EPA
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The 27-year-old Al Sadd striker put the hosts ahead from a penalty in the 22nd minute. but Yazan Al Naimat achieved a partial tie at 67, to give the Jordanians hope of winning their first title.
But at 73 and 95, again with a penalty, Afif sentenced the result that leaves the Asian Cup once again in the hands of the last organizers of the World Cup.
Four years ago the Qatari team was crowned in Abu Dhabi against Japan (3-1) for the first time in its history under the leadership from the bench. Félix Sánchez, current coach of Ecuador. Now, as a local, he achieved it with the Spanish coach, Bartolomé ‘Tintin’ Marquez.
The former player of teams such as Espanyol, Figueres or Europa, and coach of the Belgian blue and white team, Castellón, Eupen and St. Trond, He arrived at the Qatari bank last December as a replacement for the Portuguese Carlos Queiroz after managing Al-Wakrah, whose position he had to leave to become national coach.
Three months later It led Qatar to retain the title, something that no team had achieved since Japan achieved it in Lebanon 2000 and China 2004. South Korea (1956 and 1960), Iran (1968, 1972 and 1976) and Saudi Arabia (1988) have been the other teams that have successfully defended the Asian crown.
Márquez’s team made it through the group stage with three victories against Lebanon, Tajikistan and China, and in the qualifiers they were defeated by Palestine (2-1), Uzbekistan (1-1 and 3-2 on penalties) and Iran (3-2).
In this way, it has not been an easy road for the hosts, whose possibilities were questioned before the competition and who have nevertheless known how to suffer and come back from games they had against, which strengthens their confidence before the grand final. from the Lusail stadium.
Qatar has taken into account Akram Afif to his great offensive reference. And he finished as the tournament’s top scorer with seven goals.