IFFHS REPORT AFC ASIAN CUP FINAL
Host Qatar retain Asian Supremacy!
Jordan 1 Qatar 3
Y. Al-Naimat 67'
Goals
A. Afif 22' (P), 73' (P), 90+5' (P)
Defeat Jordan 3-1 in the final of historic AFC Asian Cup in Doha, Qatar to claim back to back titles
Dynamic Akram Afif scored a hat-trick of penalties as Qatar won their second consecutive AFC Asian Cup title after defeating Jordan 3-1 at iconic Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
Jordan were playing their maiden AFC Asian Cup final. But failed to reproduce their gutsy performance in previous knockout rounds.
On the other hand, Afif became the only player to score hat-trick of penalties at the AFC Asian Cup final, infact at any of the World or the regional level final!
Qatar scored the vital opening goal at 22nd minute. The shoreline remained the same at breather. Yazan Al Naimat’s equaliser at 67th minutes gave first time finalists Jordan a flicker of hope. But, Afif’s coolness and Qatar’s overall superiority saw them defending the title they won in emphatic fashion in 2019 comfortably.
The great Afif show!
- Akram Afif was named the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Most Valuable Player and also picked up the Yili Top Scorer Award
- The striker, who netted a hat-trick of penalties in the final, scored eight goals and made three assists in a campaign
Barsham - The best Goalkeeper
- Qatar's Meshaal Barsham was named the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Best Goalkeeper after playing a pivotal role in his side lifting the coveted trophy for the second successive time.
Qatar creates history
- Qatar (2019-2024) became the fifth nation to retain AFC Asian Cup following the feats of South Korea (1956-60), Iran (1968, 72 and 76), Saudi Arabia (1984-88) and Japan (2000-04)
Historic Performances by Asian Teams
- Remarkable progress of Asian teams on the pitch was registered. Four sides – Palestine, Syria, Indonesia and Tajikistan – reached the Knockout Stage for the first time – the highest number since the tournament transitioned from its round-robin format in 1972 – with Jordan reaching their first-ever Final and Tajikistan emerging as the first debutants since Australia in 2007 to reach the Quarter-finals.
New Digital Engagement, TV Viewership and Spectatorship Records
- The world’s largest football community turned up in droves to rally behind the Continent’s top 24 sides with more than 1.5 million supporters showcasing their fervour across the 51 matches, making the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, the most-attended showpiece in history.
- Not only did the 18th edition of the tournament surpass the previous 1.04m attendance record, but it also saw the nine world-class stadiums achieve an average of 73% capacity – a 13% increase from the best-ever showing set in China PR in 2004.
- It was also the second attendance milestone to be broken after 82,490 fans set a new opening match record when Qatar defeated Lebanon at the Lusail Stadium.
- At the same time, the preliminary digital engagement and broadcast figures have reaffirmed the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 as the most appealing edition in history. Digital impressions crossing the 5.5 billion mark and broadcast figures also poised to smash TV viewership records.