Here’s your match report:
The Jordan players get their runners-up medals. And then it’s Qatar’s turn to pick up their gongs, with Hassan Al-Haydos lifting the trophy alongside his teammates. They’ll be busting some moves in Doha tonight. That’s enough from me, folks, cheers for tuning in.
Gianni Infantino, beaming away, is up there for the presentation with all the other high-flying dudes. Akram Afif picks up the top goalscorer gong, Meshaal Barsham wins the best goalie award. Afif is also named the tournament MVP.
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Ehsan Haddad, the Jordan captain, is speaking. There’s no English translation but, yeah, he obviously must be gutted.
Afif is thrown into the air by his teammates, his hat-trick of penalties (remarkable, really) bringing the W. Jordan were terrific for much of that second half, undone by a few weary moments inside their own box. What a run by them, though, having stunned South Korea in the semis and come so close tonight.
FULL-TIME: Jordan 1-3 Qatar
Barsham gets a yellow, presumably for time-wasting, and then the whistle finally goes. Qatar are champions of Asia once again.
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90+15 min: We’re still going …
90+13 min: The ball seems suspended in the air, tired legs just hoofing it around …
90+12 min: Jordan launch their final waves of attack and have a corner after Mendes clears … but Qatar deal with it.
90+10 min: Salem overlaps on the left but his ball, low into the box, causes little drama.
90+8 min: Cue the cameras finding glum Jordan fans. Their boys have been brilliant, though.
GOAL! Jordan 1-3 Qatar (Afif 90+5)
Afif goes to his right this time, and he slots in for his third. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that penalty call – was he not offside to begin with? Someone help me out here, there’s way too much going on. Ah, there’s a VAR replay shown just now that explains that he was just on. Got to feel for Jordan, though.
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Qatar have ANOTHER penalty!
90+4 min: My word, Qatar have another penalty! Afif has a chance for a hat-trick to seal the victory.
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90+1 min: Afif is through on goal after a flick-on from Almoez Ali, but the Qatar No.11 takes a heavy touch and goes down after failing to beat the keeper. Was he offside? Well, they’re checking for another possible penalty ….
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90+1 min: It’s cleared away but fear not, Jordan fans, we’ve got 13 minutes of added time.
90 min: Corner for Jordan in the final minute of normal time …
89 min: Ooooh, the ref is going over to the screen – this yellow could turn into a red. The Qatar player who went down was Tarek Salman. Ah, the ref decides to keep it 11 v 11 after the VAR check is complete.
86 min: Yazan Al-Naimat gets a yellow for a flash of anger, barging a Qatar shirt down in an off-the-ball incident.
85 min: Al-Tamari drives down the right and into the box with the ball, but Waad is superb, keeping up with the right-winger and winning a goal kick.
84 min: Afif’s ball is poor but comes back to him after a near-post clearance. His second cross is overhit, and Jordan eventually break …
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83 min: Afif lines it up for a shot, and he forces a good save from Yazeed, who moves to his left to push it away. Corner.
82 min: Almoez wins a free-kick from shooting range for Qatar.
79 min: Salem chests the ball down and tries a left-footed piledriver from about 30 yards out. Ambitious … and wide.
77 min: Nizar plays it into the box and Yazan Al-Naimat dives forward to get his header away … but it goes wide. Jordan go again in search of another equaliser.
GOAL! Jordan 1-2 Qatar (Afif 73)
Against the run of play! Afif, who has been something of a passenger since he hurt himself at the end of the first half, steps up and smashes it past the keeper’s right once again. Jordan, after all that hard work, are behind once again.
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Penalty to Qatar!
Al-Mardi took down Ismaeel in the box, and it’s been given. What a twist this is.
70 min: Oh my … we’ve got a VAR review for a possible Qatar penalty …
GOAL! Jordan 1-1 Qatar (Yazan Al-Naimat 67)
They really deserve that. A delicious ball comes in from the right, Yazan takes a sublime first touch that takes it away from his marker and sets him up on his left foot – he proceeds to blast it past the previously unbeatable Barsham. What a hit, son, what a hit.
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64 min: Afif cuts in from the left to launch a dangerous ball with his right foot into the box, but it’s cleared away. Jordan are dominating now, though, with Qatar suddenly looking a bit lost.
61 min: They can’t get it past Barsham! This time he gets low down at his near post to keep out a thumping drive from Jordan’s right, and a fancy flick from Olwan then goes just wide of the post.
60 min: Another fine save from Barsham! The corner goes all the way through to Al-Arab, who launches a fine scissor-kick, the ball thumped into the turf before the keeper pushes it away.
59 min: Jordan are pressing hard. Ehsan Haddad makes a terrific run down the right and is played in for a first-time shot, which Barsham gets down to, low to his left to force a corner …
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57 min: Olwan tries to score what would’ve basically been the greatest goal ever, flicking the ball up in the box before launching an overhead kick wide. Outrageous flair, but alas, a goal kick.
56 min: Salem’s long ball finds Al-Mardi, but he takes down Salman on his way to give away a free-kick to Qatar.
52 min: Jassem is down for Qatar, with the hosts readying up some subs. Al-Haydos and Jassem are both heading off, with Abdulaziz Hatem and Ali Assad on.
49 min: Slightly flummoxed by how Tarek hasn’t been called for a foul throw so far this game – maybe his technique is just unorthodox, but doesn’t seem right to me. Anyone else or am I just being a bore?
48 min: Barsham collects a ball right on the edge of his box, coming close to leaving it altogether.
47 min: Jordan work it around at the back, but Qatar’s high press wins them a throw on the left.
46 min: We’re back underway.
Freed from Desire blasts away at the Lusail as the players get ready to make their way out for the second half … Qatar are 45 minutes away from back-to-back Asian Cup wins.
Akram-cadabra:
Akram Afif is a jack of all trades 🪄 pic.twitter.com/kmznx8KWcx
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 10, 2024
HALF-TIME: Jordan 0-1 Qatar
The half finally comes to an end after a couple of minutes are added on to added time. Qatar deservedly have the lead, with Afif the scorer after winning the penalty. He has six goals in the tournament now and looks as if he’s OK to carry on after an injury scare late in the half – his pace and trickery has caused plenty of trouble out on the left-hand side and inside the pockets. Jordan looked a bit lost at times in the half, but Ali Olwan is working hard on the left for them and put in a couple of decent balls for Al-Tamari to get on the end of. They just need a more clinical touch in the second half.
45+6 min: Olwan crosses again from the left, finding Al-Tamari in space in the box … but the first-time shot is blazed over the bar. Jordan are finding some rhythm here on the stroke of half-time.
45+5 min: Yusuf cuts inside on his left-foot to cross from the right, with the ball headed out for a Qatar corner. Afif’s ball in is cleared away from the near post.
45+3 min: Jordan have their best chance of the half, Olwan driving into the box from the left before cutting back for Al-Tamari, whose shot is blocked by Waad. Afif is on the pitch, soldiering on.
45+2 min: This doesn’t look good at all. Afif, who has been terrific so far, is being taken off on a stretcher. But then he gets off it after being taken off the pitch! So he may well carry on here.
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45 min: Afif gets a bit of treatment after appearing to twist his knee, with six minutes added on.
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44 min: Afif crosses but it’s headed away at the near post. Afif then plays a neat little pass for Tarek to run onto in the box, and the Qatar man goes down by the byline… but it ain’t a penalty.
43 min: Afif’s pace is too much for Jordan to handle out on the left, and he does brilliantly to help win a corner for Qatar.
41 min: Al-Mardi sends in the ball, but Mendes gets a powerful header in to clear.
39 min: Al-Tamari is barged down by Fathy out on the right, and Jordan have a free-kick in a threatening area.
38 min: Qatar launch a counter-attack, with Al-Haydos trying to break through the middle on his own, and is ultimately unsuccessful.
37 min: Yazan wins a free-kick for Jordan on the left but it’s Tarek Salman who’s actually down and wriggling in pain after a tussle between the two.
34 min: Afif goes short this time, but the ball back to him is poor and cut out. Haddad and Yusuf both go up for a header and hurt one another – ouch.
33 min: Qatar have a corner, delivered by Afif. It’s a terrific outswinger, and Mendes gets a head on it, into the ground, and it’s tipped over for another corner …
32 min: Yazan is offside in the box after a hopeful punt from the Jordan backline.
30 min: Ali Olwan’s down out in the centre, clearly in a bit of pain. Tarek bundled him over, but the forward is now up and looking like he’ll be OK to keep calm and carry on.
27 min: Al-Tamari has room on the right to dribble but the Qatar backline deal with him well, forcing him to take a heavy touch and take the ball out for a goal kick. They’ve done a good job so far of shutting out Jordan’s most potent attacking threat.
26 min: Afif has been the best player on the park and he finds Almoez on the right with a delicious first-time ball – the flag goes up, but I reckon he was just on.
24 min: Did Afif show off a picture of himself to the camera as part of his celebration? Choreographed stuff for a final – gotta respect that confidence, I guess.
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GOAL! Jordan 0-1 Qatar (Afif 22)
VAR is checking the penalty … and it’s given. Afif, the man who went down, will take it. He slots it past the keeper’s right and Qatar take the lead!
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Penalty for Qatar!
20 min: Mendes plays a lovely ball down the left-hand side to find Afif, who drives into the box and is brought down by Abdullah Nasib. The ref points straight to the spot.
18 min: Olwan gets a yellow card, sliding in on the keeper after a dangerous low ball comes in from the right-hand side. Harsh that, as the Jordan forward had to try and get something on that.
16 min: Nizar plays a lush diagonal ball, finding Olwan out on the left, who feeds Yazan. The shot from outside the box is rattled straight at the keeper, who get it away. Jordan threaten for the first time tonight.
15 min: Nizar is very late with a challenge on Ahmed Fathy, giving Qatar a free-kick inside their own half.
13 min: Corner for Jordan, which is wasted after Al-Tamari tries to go short. Qatar launch a counterattack but Ehsan Haddad is back for his side, getting a challenge in on Yusuf to win a goal kick.
12 min: Al-Haydos plays in Almoez Ali, who gets his shot off in the box but Salem races back to get in the block – think it’s been called offside, anyway.
11 min: Al-Mardi pulls out a few tricks on the left-hand side but his cross into the Qatar box beats everyone and goes out for a goal-kick.
8 min: Yusuf is electric down the right-hand side for Qatar, twisting and turning before getting a cross into the box which finds the lively Afif – he doesn’t get the power and placement on the shot, though, allowing for a comfortable save from Yazeed.
7 min: A quick Qatar free-kick from the centre finds Afif on the left, who breaks into the box and has a go at a chip, but the angle is tight and Yazeed is quick out of the net to save and put it out for a corner.
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5 min: Nizar launches a dangerous ball into the box from the right but Qatar clean up. All rather nervy and scrappy out there at the moment.
3 min: Al-Tamari takes the free-kick but overhits his ball into the box, going out for a goalkick.
3 min: Al-Tamari is into the game, winning a free-kick out on the right for Jordan.
1 min: Some tidy passing in midfield before Qatar go long to Akram Afif, who can’t nail his reverse pass into the box, the ball going out for a goalkick.
Peep!
The national anthems are done, the dignitaries have got their love, and we’re away. Jordan are in white, Qatar in maroon. The Lusail is beaming.
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The players are on their way out of the tunnels, with five minutes until we get going. Sort your snacks, drinks etc.
They’re showing off the trophy on the pitch before we kick off, then there’s a very OTT lights show, fireworks and some even more OTT music to go with it all. Let’s just get on with the game, lads.
Here’s a reminder of what happened in the last Asian Cup final: a 3-1 win for Qatar over Japan, with Almoez Ali and Akram Afif among the goals – both start tonight.
The teams
Jordan: Yazeed Abulaila, Abdallah Nasib, Salem Al-Ajalin, Yazan Al-Arab, Mahmoud Al-Mardi, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Noor Al-Rawabdeh, Ehsan Haddad, Mousa Al-Tamari, Yazan Al-Naimat, Ali Olwan
Qatar: Meshaal Barsham, Tarek Salman, Almahdi Ali, Lucas Mendes, Jassem Gaber, Hassan Al-Haydos, Yusuf Abdurisag, Mohammed Waad, Ahmed Fathy, Almoez Ali, Akram Afif
Here we go …
✨ 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐔𝐏𝐒 | 🇯🇴 Jordan 🆚 Qatar 🇶🇦
— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) February 10, 2024
This is it. The teams are ready go give their all in this epic #AsianCupFinal!
Who are you supporting?
WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/Wvc1BBMMBe#AsianCup2023 | #HayyaAsia | #JORvQAT pic.twitter.com/7x0G407Bvd
And before we get properly going, feel free to check in on some Premier League action, with Manchester City currently on their way to three points against Everton.
Here’s John Duerden’s excellent preview, laying out how we got to this point:
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to coverage of the final of the Asian Cup. It’s Qatar taking on Jordan, the hosts against the giant-killers, the defending champions v the first-time finalists. The show takes place at the Lusail Stadium, where Leo and his boys won the big one in 2022.
The visitors are the story, despite Qatar’s quest for back-to-back titles. Jordan, 87th in the world rankings, shocked Son Heung-min’s South Korea in the semi-finals with a 2-0 win to prompt jubilation in the streets of Amman. Qatar are here after a dramatic semi-final against Iran, with Almoez Ali’s 82nd-minute winner sealing a 3-2 victory.
The goals of Akram Afif – five in total – have helmed Qatar’s journey so far, while the one to keep an eye on for Jordan is Mousa Al-Tamari, who has three and does his day-to-day work at Montpellier in Ligue 1. He’s been called the ‘Jordanian Messi’, which is obviously a bit silly but, hey, I’d take it. Kick-off’s at 3pm (GMT) – I’m here to take you through to the close.
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