Akram Afif stakes claim as one of Asian Cup’s greatest as Qatar win back-to-back titles،
LUSAIL, Qatar — Twice the crowd roared as the dawning awareness of what was about to happen spread like waves among them, but by the third time they definitely knew what was coming.
Because the hour is coming, Akram Afif is coming.
After positioning himself to take the 21st-minute penalty that would open the scoring in Qatar's 3-1 win over Jordan in the Asian Cup final on Saturday evening, Qatari skipper Hassan Al-Haydos is diverted and sent the ball into the hands of a I'm waiting for Afif.
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It was a move the Qataris had done before, the subtle art of mental disintegration during penalties, but the crowd responded nonetheless.
In the 73rd minute, with the score locked at 1-1 after Yazan Al-Naimat equalized for the valiant Jordanians in an improved second-half effort, VAR intervention led to referee Ma Ning to determine that Mahmoud Al-Mardi had unfairly brought Ismaeel Mohammad into the Jordanian penalty area.
Almoez Ali intervened, before also turning on his heels and passing the ball to Afif.
Another roar sounded.
Then, in the 91st, following another VAR intervention, this one seeing Ning awarded a penalty after Jordan goalkeeper Yazid Abu Layla was adjudged to have brought down Afif's drive behind the Chivalrous Ones' lines, Almoez stood above the point again, ball in hand.
But this time, the crowd wasn't going to be fooled. No one in Doha was fooled at this point and the Lusail Stadium thundered with calls for Afif to take the spot-kick, a noise that reached another level when he moved forward.
Each time, the Qatari contingent of the reported 86,492 participants exuded a sense of anticipation and confidence.
Not only for the second consecutive Asian Cup title that would soon be theirs, but for a legacy-defining moment for one of the greatest Asian Cup players of all time.
The 27-year-old had been instrumental in helping his team to a surprising 3-2 win over Iran in the semi-final just days before and now it would fall on his shoulders.
And on all three occasions, he was up for the challenge.
To Abu Layla's credit, he reacted quickly after Afif's stuttering swing and sideways effort on the first penalty, coming agonizingly close to getting his hands on the shot as he came down and headed to his right . But the shot was struck with too much direction and power, nestling into the bottom corner of the net and giving Qatar the upper hand.
The Jordan keeper was once again guessing right on the second but, once again, proved unable to get his hands on a wickedly struck shot as it flew past him and into the back of the net.
Afif then took the lead on the keeper when he sealed his hat-trick at the death, burying a shot into the bottom right corner as the keeper dived to his left. Qatar's status as the fifth Asian nation to defend its crown was now assured thanks to its talisman.
In 2019, Afif provided ten assists and scored one goal as Qatar won their first continental crown. This time around, propelled by his hat-trick in the final, he won the tournament's Golden Boot with eight goals and three additional assists.
More than a goal and a half scored in two Asian Cups, a key cog in a title and a number without which a second is simply not possible: the striker has earned the deserved recognition as the best on the field and player of the tournament thereafter. of Saturday's final.
After his first penalty, he reached into his sock and pulled out a trading card of himself to celebrate his first goal, showing it to the camera and kissing his ring finger before performing a sleight of hand to reveal an “S. ' drawn on the other side. He confirmed after the match that it was a tribute to his wife, who was attending her first match at Lusail; Afif's own tribute as he etched his name in the annals of Asian Cup history.
Indeed, to watch Afif in action on stages such as the Asia Cup is to indulge in an act of appreciation and selfishness at once; of admiration for what he is capable of on a football pitch and of wanting to see someone of his talents tested against the best in the world.
His work to win the penalty was a devastating example of this.
Seconds before Ma pointed to the spot, he was racing down the left flank, perfectly cushioning a pass from Lucas Mendes to accelerate past defender Abdallah Nasib and towards the Jordan penalty area in one fluid movement. A deadly blur of afro hair and brown attire, he subtly shifted his weight back and forth to take a step at his pursuer before rushing to the surface, Nasib's attempts to recover resulting in no result. as the couple's straight legs intersect in the surface. each other.
The 27-year-old had brief spells in Spain and Belgium earlier in his career, but moved to Qatar Stars League side Al Sadd in 2018 – but what if?
This is not to disdain the Qatar National Championship, but rather to almost want to see what would happen if this dynamo, seemingly at the peak of its powers, was tested week after week against some of the best defenders in the world while she was deployed alongside the best strikers in the world. After the match, he would say that of course he likes the idea, but that his future does not depend only on him, that there are many points of view to be heard, not the least of which is that of his female.
“If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be,” he reflects, “it’s destiny.”
It's funny he talked about fate, because just before halftime it looked like there was going to be a cruel twist when Afif sent a brief scare to the crowd after staying on the pitch after having fallen without contact, with the requested stretcher. to remove it.
He would soon reappear, but the pain remained when he was beaten in the box by Jordanian striker Musa Al-Taamari, with Mohammed Waad forced to stage a last-minute intervention to deflect it away.
He was fine, staying there as Jordan refused to bow down in the face of adversity, which he did throughout the tournament. But alas for coach Hussein Ammuta, the magic that had defined their route to the final in Doha had nothing left to give up to Lusail.
They launched numerous attacks forward in their attempt to get into the game before Al-Naimat's leveler, improving in the second half but unable to break through the brick wall that was Qatar goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham .
Trailing for much of the match, or attempting to capitalize on the momentum of their equalizer, they were forced to take the initiative and control of the ball, impeded their smooth transition play and instead had to work against an established Qatari defense, which in turn could play in transition.
Jordan would finish the match with 58% of the ball and 16 shots, but with only six of them on target, as Qatar picked their moments and moved the ball into areas where they could win their shots on goal – the timing a admitted the position of Ammuta. -the match came at the worst possible time for his team, while refusing to contest any of their awards.
Of course, to some extent, while Jordan was already winning at this point, Qatar needed this victory.
After their three consecutive defeats at a home World Cup, a large part of their reputation – the reputation of 2019 – rested on what they could do at home.
Perhaps one of the biggest takeaways from the 2023 Asian Cup today is how badly Qatar botched their preparations for the 2022 World Cup, with their long overseas tours inadvertently preparing them to perform at a level far below what they should have been able to achieve.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia's growing investments and attempts to monopolize the region's major events also threaten to put them in the shadows in the years to come, although much of the soft power, reputation laundering , economic and infrastructural benefits associated with hosting major football events have already been banked.
No matter what happens, they will now always be consecutive Asian champions. And Afif will always be one of the greatest players in the Asian Cup.
