AL KHOR (QATAR), Jan 30 — Two moments of brilliance by Qatar striker Akram Afif were enough to catapult his team into the 2023 Asian Cup quarterfinals after they beat Palestine 2-1 in their second-round match, here, tonight (early morning Malaysian time).
The 27-year-old not only engineered his team’s equaliser but also scored the winning goal at Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor even though Palestine fought bravely after managing to qualify for the knockout stage for their very first time.
The Palestinians played well in the first half, and came close to scoring in the 19th minute with a shot outside the penalty box by Ameed Mahajneh that forced Qatar keeper Meshaal Barsham into action.
They threatened once again in the 24th minute but Oday Dabbagh’s shot ballooned high above the crossbar.
The Palestinians’ perseverance paid off in the 37th minute when Barsham failed to keep Dabbagh’s shot to the right corner out, and ended Qatar’s clean sheet for the finals.
Qatar remained undeterred and a moment of brilliance by Afif resulted in a beautiful corner kick that befuddled the Palestinian defence to allow Qatar team captain Hasan Al Haydos to head in the ball during injury time of the first half.
Buoyed by the equaliser, Qatar only needed four minutes after halftime began to score the winning goal and clinch their quarterfinal berth, thanks to Afif’s penalty after teammate Almoez Ali was fouled by Mohammed Saleh.
The penalty is Afif’s fourth goal of the tournament, and puts him closer to leading goal scorer Aymen Hussein of Iraq, who has six goals thus far.
Qatar will meet the winner of tomorrow’s match between Uzbekistan and Thailand at Al Janoub Stadium, Doha.
Meanwhile, the 2023 Asian Cup has established a new record with a total attendance of 1.06 million fans as 63,753 witnessed Qatar’s 2-1 victory over Palestine in the round of 16 clash.
The impressive figure surpassed the previous attendance record of 1.04 million, which was set in the 2004 edition in China.
Commenting on the achievement, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) secretary-general Datuk Seri Windsor John said since the outset, it has been clear that the 18th edition of the Asian Cup here is set to become the most accessible and captivating edition in the tournament’s history.
“Football has the undeniable power to unite communities and nowhere is that more palpable than right here in Qatar on Asia’s most prestigious stage. This achievement is a tribute to our passionate fans and our dear friends from the Qatar Football Association and the 2023 Asian Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC).
“AFC would like to extend our deep sense of gratitude to all our stakeholders and the people of Qatar for their unrivalled and warm hospitality,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the 2023 Asian Cup LOC chief executive officer Jassim Al Jassim said record-breaking attendances are a testament to Qatar’s ability to host world-class sporting events.
After 40 matches, the 2023 Asian Cup, which recently also eclipsed the historic 1.5 billion mark in terms of digital engagement, currently ranks second in the average attendance charts with 26,672 fans turning out per match.
The latest milestone marks the second time that a spectator attendance benchmark has been achieved in Qatar after 82,490 fans set a new record for an opening match in Asian Cup history when the hosts defeated Lebanon 3-0 at the Lusail Stadium on Jan 12.
— Bernama
