Afif leads Qatar to retain Asian Cup with penalty hat trick

On Saturday, an intense Asian Cup final took place between tournament hosts Qatar and first-time finalists Jordan at Lusail Stadium. Qatar emerged victorious by a score of 3-1 to retain the Asian Cup trophy they won four years prior, the first nation to win back-to-back titles since Japan in 2004.

The hero of the match was Qatar’s Akram Afif, who calmly converted three penalty kicks to seal the victory for his country. After Qatar was awarded a penalty in the first half, Afif stepped up to slot home the opener. However, a brilliant 67th-minute strike from Jordan’s Yazan Al Naimat brought the scores level at 1-1.

In a dramatic turn of events aided by VAR, the referee awarded Qatar two more penalties. Showing nerves of steel, Afif converted both chances to complete a historic Asian Cup final hat trick and lead his nation to glory. As the final whistle blew, raucous celebrations erupted amongst the home fans as Qatar once again stood atop Asian football.

Qatar’s winning performance was a testament to tenacity and resilience against a Jordan team appearing in its first-ever final. Meanwhile, Afif deserves plaudits for his composed and ruthless goalscoring when the pressure was at its highest.

After hoisting the trophy high following the final whistle, Qatar will look to build on this victory and establish themselves as the dominant force in Asian football as they turn their attention to qualifying and performing well at the 2026 World Cup.