Qatar’s Akram Afif celebrates after scoring a goal during the Asian Cup final soccer match between Qatar and Jordan at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
Afif’s treble made him the first player to net a hat trick in the final of the continental showpiece and the player’s celebration was befitting the occasion as he pulled off a magic trick after pushing the ball into the back of the net from the spot.
Qatar mounted a successful defence of their AFC Asian Cup title as they picked up a 3-1 win over Jordan at the Lusail Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts became the first team since Japan in 2004 to retain the Asian Cup title as Akram Afif starred in the final with a hattrick of penalties.
Afif’s treble made him the first player to net a hat trick in the final of the continental showpiece and the player’s celebration was befitting the occasion as he pulled off a magic trick after pushing the ball into the back of the net from the spot.
After depositing the ball in the back of the net with a low-struck penalty, the forward pulled out a card from his socks and proceeded to swish it as the image on the card changed into something different.
“I scored the penalties because of the confidence my teammates had in me. It is not about technique, it is about the feeling that people are behind me – my team,” he said after the victory.
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The triumphant Qatar side’s Spanish coach Marquez Lopez, who was hired only in December,
“It was a very difficult game. The tension was high. Maybe it was not the beautiful football everyone wished for, but everyone remembers the winner,” Lopez said after the win.
Lopez also lauded the efforts of Afif, who claimed the top-scorer and best-player awards along with the title. Afif managed to score a total of eight goals in the tournament including the treble of penalties in the summit clash.
“I’m so happy for Akram that he won all the individual awards. He deserved to win them,” the coach added.
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The win would prove as redemption for the Qaar side, who slumped to a wort-ever performance by a host at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in which the home nation lost all three of their outings in the group stages.
