Given the more than four billion people on the continent, having Qatar and Jordan in the Asian Cup final, countries with a combined population of about 15 million, is not the showpiece the Asian Football Confederation would have chosen before it all started. It is also not the final that anyone expected.
Those in Amman or Doha won’t care. On paper, and on home soil, Qatar are favourites and a second successive win would grant entry to the Asian powerhouse club but up to now in this tournament Jordan, ranked 87th in the world, have impressed more.
