Akram Afif Leads Qatar to Victory over Jordan in Asian Cup Final

In a breathtaking showdown at Lusail Stadium, Qatar secured an unforgettable triumph in the Asian Cup final, prevailing over Jordan with a resounding 3-1 victory. 

The result meant hosts Qatar became the fifth team to win back-to-back Asian titles, having also triumphed in 2019.
Yazan Al-Naimat's second-half goal had leveled matters after Afif had dispatched a first-half penalty.
However, Afif scored twice more from the spot in the closing stages after video assistant referee checks to finish the tournament with eight goals.

Jordan had set their sights on clinching their maiden Asian Cup title, having caused a stir by defeating South Korea 2-0 in the semi-finals to advance to their inaugural final appearance.
Qatar earned their initial penalty opportunity of the match when Afif was brought down in the box by Abdallah Nasib, following his run onto a precise pass from Lucas Mendes.

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Afif expertly placed the ball into the bottom corner, rounding off an exceptional first-half performance. However, Jordan stepped up their game in the second half, and their efforts were duly rewarded when Ihsan Haddad delivered a pinpoint pass that was skillfully collected by Yazan Al-Naimat. Evading his marker, Al-Naimat unleashed a powerful strike that beat goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham with sheer ferocity.

Jordan managed to equalize, but their parity was short-lived. Only six minutes later, Afif capitalized on the opportunity to convert his second penalty of the game, against the flow of the game, following a foul on Ismaeel Mohammad by Mahmoud Al-Mardi.

With this victory, Qatar achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first team since Japan in 2004 to successfully defend their Asian Cup crown.