Match Reports – Inside World Football

Afif’s penalty hattrick drives Qatar to 3-1 win over battling Jordan and retention of Asian Cup title

Paul Nicholson — Sat, 10 Feb 2024 17:57:37 +0000

By Paul Nicholson in Lusail Stadium

February 10 – Qatar retained their Asian Cup title with an Akram Afif hattrick of penalties in front of 86,465 mainly Qatari fans in the Lusail Stadium.

It was an astonishing night of celebration for the Qataris who so desperately wanted a tournament win on home soil after the disappointment of the 2022 World Cup performance.

In Afif they had the player to deliver it and in VAR they had technology to confirm.

Iran left dumbstruck as brilliant Afif steers Qatar into Asian Cup final

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 20:14:09 +0000

By Paul Nicholson in Doha

February 7 – Qatar overcame Iran 3-2 at the Al Thumama stadium in Doha in another pulsating semi-final in an Asian Cup that has provided drama after drama.

A match that at times was lacking in finesse was more than made up for by commitment at both ends of the pitch.

Inevitably it was a goal and two assists from the mercurial Akram Afif that drove Qatar to what in the end looked like being an unlikely victory as they weathered wave after wave of Iranian attack.

Jordan stun South Korea on a pulsating Asian Cup night of giant killing

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 20:11:56 +0000

February 6 – On an astonishing night of giant killing Jordan knocked out South Korea 2-0 in the Asian Cup to secure a place in the final this weekend.

It was a stunning achievement for a team that only qualified for the knockout rounds as one of the best third placed group finishers.

Jordan will sail deeper into uncharted territory. They had never made it to the quarter finals before and now they have gone all the way to the final.

Qatar keep Asian Cup dream alive with penalty shoot-out win over Uzbekistan

Paul Nicholson — Sat, 03 Feb 2024 19:16:07 +0000

February 3 – In a tight match that was all square at 1-1 after extra time, Qatar beat Uzbekistan 3-2 in the penalty shoot out to keep their dream of retaining the Asian Cup title they won in 2019 alive.

They next face South Korea in the semi-finals who will be their toughest opposition of the Asian Cup so far.

The Qataris Asian Cup winning streak has now stretched to 12 games,

Iran score from the penalty spot in added time to end Japan’s push for 5th title

Paul Nicholson — Sat, 03 Feb 2024 10:20:45 +0000

February 3 – Another goal in added time in this tournament of late match winners, saw Iran overcome Japan in what was very much a game of two halves and grew into a pulsating quarter final.

After a first half of missed chances for both teams, the score at 1-1 and with the clock having clicked past 90 minutes towards extra time, Iran’s Hossein Kanani was brought down in the box. Alireza Jahanbakhsh stepped up to hammer the spot kick home,

Korea’s added time goal and Son Heung-min’s masterclass send Aussies down under

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 19:35:14 +0000

February 2 – South Korea dumped Australia out of the Asian Cup 2-1 at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah in a match that looked as though it had gone Australia’s way at the 90-minute mark.

Going into added time at the end of the second half Australia, if not cruising, looked as though they had done enough to defend a 1-0 lead against the brilliance of Son Heung-min and a Korea hungry for Asian Cup success.

Jordan end Tajikistan’s dream with 1-0 win to secure semi-final slot

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 10:48:45 +0000

February 2 – Jordan became the first team to claim a semi-final berth at the Asian Cup after they bundled debutants Tajikistan out in the quarter finals with a 1-0 win, courtesy of an Abdallah Nasib headed goal.

In front of their massed and vocal support in the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium, Jordan continue their campaign into the semifinals, the first time they reached this stage of the competition.

If their win over Iraq with two goals in added time had a controversial element of luck involved following the sending off of Iraq’s star striker,

Japan start to join the dots as they ease past Bahrain

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 11:40:46 +0000

January 31 – Four-time Asian Cup champions Japan secured their place in the quarter finals of the competition with a comfortable 3-1 victory over group-topping Bahrain.

Hajime Moriyasu’s side conducted a neat and tidy operation on their outmatched opposition – an otherwise flawless performance if not for Zion Suzuki’s clumsiness to gift Bahrain a brief shred of hope.

Japan entered the match from a surprising second-placed finish in Group D, where the side’s free-flowing attack and goalscoring ability was marred but its leaky defence that conceded five goals in three games.

Taremi pays the penalty but Iran go though with shoot-out win over Syria

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 09:49:32 +0000

January 31 – Ten-man Iran survived a major scare against Syria winning 5-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw to complete the quarter-final lineup of the Asian Cup. Sent off, Mehdi Taremi will have to sit out the last-eight clash with Japan.

The Iranians join Qatar, Australia, Japan and South Korea as one of five teams who have won the continental crown in the quarter-finals, but they got there the hard way, a victory over against a valiant Syria costing them blood,

Dramatic last gasp equaliser spurs South Korea to penalty shoot out win over Saudi Arabia

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:25:19 +0000

By Harry Ewing at the Education City Stadium

January 30 – It was another night of red-hot passion and nerve jangling football in the last 16 ties of the Asian Cup in Doha, Qatar.

An equalising South Korean goal in the ninth minute of added time followed by extra time and a nailbiting 4-2 win in the penalty shoot-out ended Saudi Arabia’s Asian Cup campaign.

In a series of no-holds-barred last 16 contests,

Uzbeks brush past Thailand to set up Qatar quarter final

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:08:58 +0000

January 30 – Uzbekistan secured a spot in the last eight of the Asian Cup following a routine 2-1 victory over Thailand, the last south-east Asian country in competition.

The Uzbeks had few problems in dispatching the Thais, who sat back and offered little attacking threat and never looked like chasing the game despite a flourish in the second half.

For the second time in a row, Thailand exited in the round of 16 and will be left to wonder what could have been if they had applied some more attacking enterprise.

Palestine bow out with friends, honour and pride as Afif drives Qatar into last eight

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 21:02:18 +0000

By Samindra Kunti in Al Khor

January 29 – With an assist and a goal, Akram Afif propelled Qatar to the last eight of the Asian Cup with a 2-1 victory over the brave-hearted Palestinians.

The number eleven starred in a victory that did not come easy for the host nation and broke the hearts of Palestine, who can reflect on a historic campaign amid the backdrop of war in Gaza.

Jordan hammer in two goals in added time to snatch victory from Iraq in an explosive last 16 tie

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 18:05:18 +0000

By Harry Ewing in Doha

January 29 – The most pulse-raising, heartbreaking and inspiring match at the Asian Cup this year, Jordan netted twice in added time to snatch victory from 10-man Iraq, sending the Khalifa Stadium in Doha into absolute bedlam.

Heading into the knockout tie, Iraq came off the back of a fearsome run in the group stage, collecting nine points from a high-quality group that also contained tournament favourites Japan.

Asian Cup debutants Tajikistan dump UAE out of Asian Cup in penalty shoot-out

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 21:45:47 +0000

By Samindra Kunti in Doha

January 28 – Debutants and history-makers Tajikistan stunned the United Arab Emirates 5-3 on penalties following an absorbing 1-1 draw to advance to the last eight of the Asian Cup.

The Tajiks and their eccentric manager Petar Segrt wrote the next chapter of their Asian Cup fairytale with a spirited and well-deserved victory against a lethargic United Arab Emirates,

Khalifa Al Hammadi’s injury-time goal cancelling out Vahdat Hanonov’s 5th-minute strike before the Tajiks prevailed from the penalty spot to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Indonesia’s deafening support unable to silence Aussies’ 4-0 win

Paul Nicholson — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 16:40:26 +0000

January 28 – Australia fought off a determined Indonesia to claim the first place in the quarter finals, in the end running out as 4-0 victors in a comfortable match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium which was filled to the brim with Indonesian supporters.

The Socceroos entered the match as heavy favourites, holding a seven-match unbeaten streak. In comparison, Indonesia’s last loss was just four days ago after conceding three goals to Japan.

Kyrgyz Republic grab late equaliser against Oman, both lose

Paul Nicholson — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 10:29:16 +0000

January 25 – Both Kyrgyz Republic and Oman needed a win at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa stadium to stand any chance of going into the knockout rounds of the Asian Cup as one of the best third placed group teams.

The Omanis, who had previously drawn with Thailand and lost in the closing minutes against Saudi Arabia, looked to have secured the last 16 slot until a late Kyrgyz equaliser made the score 1-1 and ruined their dreams.