“I want to play in Europe again, but it’s realistically difficult.”
Qatar beat Jordan 3-1 in the final match of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Aldayen, Qatar, at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Qatar maintained its status as the king of Asia by winning its second consecutive championship.
The main character was Akram Afif. Afif had five goals before the match against Jordan. Afif drew attention with his fantastic scoring performance in the match against Lebanon, the opener of the season, and was praised for his breakthrough skills. He scored a goal in the match against Tajikistan. He did not have a goal in the match against China, but he helped to accumulate attack points. He displayed his special presence in all of the group matches, solidifying his image as Mohamed Salah of Qatar.
He also scored a penalty kick goal in the match against Palestine. Qatar`s Afif was present in every opportunity it created. He did not stop even when his opponent put pressure on him, and rather than dribbling recklessly, he displayed accurate attack connection in a wide field of view. As he became the “Best Eleven” in four consecutive rounds, he demonstrated his immense influence. Although Qatar failed to display performance in the quarterfinals against Uzbekistan, it scored the best goal of the tournament in the semifinal against Iran, giving Qatar a 3-2 victory.
He scored three goals through penalty kicks in the final match. He displayed great influence in the game as well. With “Appeep,” Qatar won the title by beating Jordan 3-1. After the match, Qatari players picked up “Appeep” and rinsed it. “Appeep” scored eight goals and became the top scorer, beating over Aymen Hussein of Iraq. The MVP of the competition was also Appeep’s.
Afif, who won, scored the top scorer and MVP all, said in an interview after the game, “My team and my teammates were behind me. My teammates gave me confidence, so I was able to score a goal. I didn’t need any skills or anything like that. I scored because my people were behind me.”
Afif scored a goal and held up a card with his hand drawn on it, and when he shook it, he got an S. “S is my wife’s first letter. I am Kuwaiti and I came to the stadium.”
Afif, who played for Offen, Villarreal, Sporting Hijon and experienced Europe as a child, is currently a member of Al Saad in the Qatar Stars League. Afif’s crazy performance at the 유흥알바 Asian Cup has led to the prospect that he can challenge Europe again. Afif said, “I want to try it one more time, but it’s practically difficult. There are many factors related. If this is my destiny, it’s destiny.”
Qatar won the title under coach Marquez Lopez, who hurriedly took the helm after Carlos Queiroz. “We worked hard together. We analyzed our opponents well,” Afif said of Marquez. “It was not an easy task.”