Monday 23 / June / 2025
Muscat: Qatar’s national football team have written themselves into the history books by winning their first-ever Asian Cup, after a 3-1 win over favourites Japan.
The Qataris had surprised everyone by making it this far, and after upsets over hosts United Arab Emirates (4-0) in the semi-finals, and South Korea (1-0) in the quarters, the team believed they were in with a chance of tasting victory.
However, the Samurai Blue are no pushovers: the Japanese had won the tournament on four occasions in the past, but goals from Almoez Ali and Abdul Aziz Hatem gave the 2022 World Cup hosts a 2-0 lead at half-time.
Almoez Ali broke Iranian Ali Daei’s record of the most number of goals scored in a single tournament, when he scored his 9th goal of the current competition in the 12th minute. A disguised low cross from fellow striker Akram Afif – who leads the assist stats in the competition – was fed into Ali, who took a touch to set himself up, and then fired the ball into the bottom corner with a stunning bicycle kick to beat the Japanese goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda.
The goal seemed to stun the Japanese, who were thankful for Gonda less than a minute later, when he almost made it 2-0, only for their goalkeeper to make a reflex save to keep the ball out. A searing drive from Abdul Aziz Hatem put the 2022 World Cup hosts in the driving seat. He took advantage of a retreating Japanese defence, and did not hesitate to blast the ball home.
Hassan Al Haydos then missed a glorious chance to make it 3-0 from a tight angle, when the Japanese defence were all at sea, but his first-time drive thudded the outside of the crossbar.
The Qataris were on course to cause a stir by upsetting the 2002 World Cup co-hosts, but the Japanese were not going to allow the Arab side to dictate play. Coach Hajime Moriyasu decided to bring on striker Yoshinori Muto for midfielder Genki Haraguchi in the 62nd minute, and seven minutes later, it was striker Takumi Minamino who pulled one back for the East Asians.
But destiny was to proclaim that Qatar would have the last laugh on the day, and Felix Sanchez, who has masterminded this amazing run, could rest easy when Akram Afif dispatched a controversial penalty in the 83rd minute to put Qatar 3-1 up.
The Uzbek referee Rayshan Irmatov decided to consult with his Video Assistant Referee team after defender Maya Yoshida’s clearing header struck his own arm. It was a tad harsh, but top assister Afif finally got a goal of his own when he put the ball past goalie Shuichi Gonda and down the centre of the net.
Late on, Yoshida headed wide at the other end, after Moriyasu decided to bring on Takashi Inui and Junya Ito to pep up his side. Record-breaker Almoez Ali – who has scored nine goals in the tournament – was withdrawn late on to a standing ovation.
It was but a signal for the triumphant roar that was to come seconds later.
