Qatar’s debut appearance in the FIFA World Cup on home soil just over 13 months ago may have ended in three defeats but the experience gained, believes Akram Afif, is powering their bid to defend the AFC Asian Cup title.
Afif and his teammates moved within one match of lifting the coveted AFC Asian Cup trophy for a second time after a breathtaking 3-2 win over Iran in their semi-final on Wednesday, with Qatar showing confidence and composure despite the weight of expectations.
Afif said Qatar’s FIFA World Cup experience has helped them deal with the pressure of playing the Asian Cup at home. “Every tournament that we play, we learn a lot from,” said Afif. “The World Cup was our first time. Yes we hosted it but frankly that was difficult.
“Now the Asian Cup is the second tournament we’ve played at home and now we have that experience and we’re showing that we can improve with every passing tournament.”
Just like in the UAE 2019 edition, the 27-year-old forward has played an integral part in Qatar’s journey to the final against Jordan with the Al Sadd star appreciative of the support the team has received.
“Congratulations to our fans and all those who stood by us. The victory was not easy. We’re very proud of ourselves but hopefully, the best is yet to come.”
His thumping strike against Iran took his tournament tally to five, one behind Iraq’s Aymen Hussein in the race for the Golden Boot but as far as Afif is concerned, what matters is lifting the trophy on Saturday and given that Qatar are much wiser and more experienced now, that is well within their reach.
Meanwhile, coach Marquez Lopez was delighted his decision to start without skipper Hassan al-Haydos paid off against Iran.
Lopez felt Homam Ahmed, Yusuf Abdurisag, Akram Afif and Almoez Ali had the pace needed to break down Iran’s backline, a decision that delivered handsome dividends for the defending champions.
“First off, I’m very happy for Qatar, the people of Qatar, the fans and the players,” said Spaniard Lopez. “The match was very complex but we played a big match, the players didn’t spare any effort. Now we have one final step left to defend our title. We tried to play with great speed in attack. We put four players in attack who we know are quick.
“We tried to find spaces behind the Iranian defence. We were successful at times and luck was with us today. We will celebrate this victory today and tomorrow we will start preparing for the final match.”
Despite the shock of going behind to an early Sardar Azmoun goal, Qatar refused to break and drew level through Jassem Gaber before an Afif thunderbolt gave them the lead going into half-time.
An Alireza Jahanbakhsh penalty levelled the tie but Ali ensured it would be Qatar taking on Jordan in the final with his winner nine minutes from time.
Despite having steered Qatar into a second successive AFC Asian Cup final, a modest Lopez paid tribute to his predecessors Felix Sanchez and Carlos Quieroz.
“Yes, I took over a short while ago but the one thing that really helped me is that I already know the players well. I have great respect for all my colleagues, I respect Carlos and Felix who were here before me and did fantastic jobs. I took over on December 24. I have my own philosophy and way but I cannot say this is my success alone, I’m just someone who tried to implement my ways with the players to achieve the best result.”
His ways may well see Qatar becoming only the fifth team to win back-to-back AFC Asian Cup titles.