Fans shower love on kings of Asian football

A grand reception marked the return of the Qatar national football team to Doha yesterday evening, as thousands of people gathered along the Corniche to catch a glimpse of the new kings of Asian football.

And the joy of the waiting crowds knew no bounds when an open-top bus carried the players on a parade through the Corniche, giving the team the heroes' welcome they richly deserved.Earlier, the Al-Annabi (Maroons), as the Qatar team is known as, arrived in Doha from Oman and was welcomed by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamd al-Thani and several other dignitaries.The Qatar team was crowned the Asian Cup champions on Friday after it defeated Japan 3-1 in the final in Abu Dhabi. As word of yesterday's grand reception spread, thousands of people - both citizens and expatriates - headed for the Corniche to celebrate the famous victory and express their love for Qatartarget="_blank"'>