Qatar has defeated four-time winners Japan in the final of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup football tournament at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Fans react to Qatar’s win
Salman Mohammed, 35, Qatari businessman
“We love our team, they are our heroes and they have kept our heads high.
If there was no blockade, I would gave gone to watch the match, but the fact that we won is all that matters.”
Mohammed Reza, 28, Sri Lankan travel consultant
“I am very happy and proud of the Qatari national team. It is a big thing for the country and a good sign before the World Cup comes here.”
Victory celebrations
Celebrations are in full swing in Doha, as Qatar are crowned Asian champions.
This is the Gulf nation’s first major football tournament win.
Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
And the #AsianCup2019 celebrations are only just starting in Qatar. It’s going to be a long, noisy evening!! @AJEnglish pic.twitter.com/Fa7hLD6wA5
— Faras Ghani (@farasG) February 1, 2019
Best ride home ever #qatar_japan #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/P30zf3WkTD
— Leah Harding (@LeahHardingAJE) February 1, 2019
Qatar’s emir pays tribute to football team
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani congratulated his country’s football team for an “historic victory”.
“A tribute to our heroes who made this tournament an Arab achievement and… realised the dreams of millions of Qatari football fans across the great Arab world,” Sheikh Tamim wrote on his personal Twitter account.
ألف مبروك لمنتخبنا ولقطر وشعبها هذا الفوز التاريخي بكأس آسيا ٢٠١٩ .. ألف تحية لأبطالنا وللجهازين الفني والإداري الذين جعلوا هذه البطولة إنجازا عربيا وقدموا ملحمة كروية مثيرة وحققوا أحلام الملايين من مشجعي الكرة القطرية عبر الوطن العربي الكبير..
— تميم بن حمد (@TamimBinHamad) February 1, 2019
Tournament awards
Fair play: Japan
Best goalkeeper: Saad Al Sheeb, Qatar
Top goalscorer: Almoez Ali, Qatar
Most valuable player: Almoez Ali, Qatar
Qatar wins maiden title
Qatar’s national football team has defeated Japan 3-1 in the final to lift its first Asian Cup title.
Historic night for Qatar! #AsianCupFinal #AsianCup2019 pic.twitter.com/CRLTOTODip
— #AsianCup2019 (@afcasiancup) February 1, 2019
Third goal for Qatar
Qatar’s Akram Afif converts the penalty kick to put his side 3-1 ahead.
He receives a yellow card for taking his shirt off to celebrate.
Five minutes of extra time.
Japan scores
Japan’s Takumi Minamino scores the first goal for his side in the 69th minute.
Second-half substitutions
Japan’s Yoshinori Muto comes in for Genki Haraguchi.
Qatar’s Boualem Khoukhi taken off on a stretcher. He is replaced by Salem Al Hajri
Half-time statistics
Possession: Qatar 45 percent, Japan 55 percent
Shots (on goal): Qatar 5 (2), Japan 3 (0)
Fouls: Qatar: 5, Japan 6
Corners: Qatar 1, Japan 3
Qatar doubles the lead
Abdelaziz Hatim scores the second goal for the Maroons in the 27th minute.
What a goal by Qatar’s Abdulaziz Hatem #AsianCup2019 #JPNvQAT #قطر_اليابان pic.twitter.com/zU6Gxyk5NC
— فيصل عيدروس (@faisaledroos) February 1, 2019
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| Qatar’s Abdelaziz Hatim celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates [Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters] |
First goal for Qatar
Qatar takes the lead with 22-year-old Almoez Ali scoring in the 12th minute.
This is Ali’s ninth goal of the tournament.
He has broken the record for the most goals scored in a single edition of the competition.
How did that Almoez kick end up in the back of the net!! This crowd doesnt care! Japan 0-1 Qatar #AFCAsianCup2019 pic.twitter.com/UQ3uEQQHo6
— Faras Ghani (@farasG) February 1, 2019
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| Japan and Qatar fans outside the stadium before the match [Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters] |
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| Qatar fans before the kick-off [Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters] |
UAE protest against Qatar dismissed
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has dismissed the protest lodged by the United Arab Emirates Football Association over the eligibility of two of Qatar’s players, the body said in a statement ahead of the final on Friday.
The complaint about Qatar’s Almoez Ali, a 22-year-old striker born in Sudan, and Bassam Al Rawi, a 21-year-old defender born in Iraq, was reportedly filed within two hours of Qatar’s 4-0 victory over the UAE on Wednesday.
Who will win the final?
Japan remain the clear favourites, ranked third in Asia and having put through a commendable performance in the 2018 World Cup.
They are ranked 43 places above Qatar.
Here’s a look back on the Samurai Blue’s 🇯🇵 journey en-route to Asian Cup final no. 5⃣!#AsianCup2019 pic.twitter.com/BLQ5sY6PWG
— #AsianCup2019 (@afcasiancup) January 30, 2019
But Qatar have scored 16 goals in this tournament without conceding any and have beaten teams ranked well above them.
An Al Jazeera English poll carried out on Twitter says fans are equally divided on who will win.
Watching the final in Qatar
Big screens have been set up in Qatar for fans to watch the final as they were unable to travel to the match in person because of a regional blockade by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt.
Special TV screenings will take place at around the capital Doha, including Souq Waqif, Katara cultural village, as well as restaurants, malls and hotels.
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| The match will be screened at Doha’s Souq Waqif [Saba Aziz/Al Jazeera] |
One final push
“There are no words to describe what playing in the final means to me,” Qatar’s captain Hassan al-Haydos told reporters on the eve of the game. “It is definitely very important to us as a team.”
Qatar’s coach Felix Sanchez believes his players are ready for one final push that can land them the title.
“The players are determined to get the victory we want by putting in one more huge effort against Japan so that we can make the Qatari people happy once again and make history,” said Sanchez.
Qatar: ‘Already winners’
The air, land and sea blockade forced the team to take a longer route to reach Abu Dhabi from Qatar.
Qatari fans were not allowed to travel to the UAE to support the team. At some games, Omanis cheered the Qatari players.
During the semi-final against the UAE team shoes and sandals were thrown at the Qatari players from the stands.
For the fans back home, Qatar are already winners. Read the match preview by Saba Aziz here.
Additional reporting by Showkat Shafi in Doha
All of Qatar’s goals as they sealed a place in the Asian Cup final vs Japan! 🇶🇦 💪 pic.twitter.com/gDaKpuYE3A
— Goal (@goal) January 30, 2019
