Qatar successfully defended its Asian Cup crown after beating Jordan 3-1 on Saturday at Lusail Stadium, where Akram Afif converted three penalties as the hosts won their second continental title.
Jordan was playing in its first Asian Cup final and seeking its first major trophy, but it was Qatar who prevailed in front of 86,492 fans, including Qatar's ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
After Afif opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a penalty kick, Jordan's attack pressed but could not break through until the second half, when in the 67th minute, Yazan Al-Naimat scored the equalizer.
Jordan's relief was short-lived; Just a few minutes later, Afif scored his second penalty and finally sealed the win for Qatar when he completed his hat-trick with a third penalty goal.
Afif, who was thrown into the air by his teammates after the final whistle, also collected the player of the match and most valuable player of the tournament awards.
“Scoring penalties is because of the trust my teammates had in me. It's not about technique or choosing the angle, it's the feeling of having my team behind me,” Afif said.
Meanwhile, Jordan coach Hussein Ammouta said: “We were not focused in the first half and made mistakes. There were easy opportunities to score but we didn't do it. The moment of the two penalties [in the second half] It was hard.
“But I want to congratulate the players. They have gained confidence and have opened horizons for the future. Maybe we can win in future tournaments.”
