The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2023 Asian Cup Qatar has come to a close with hosts and defending champions Qatar winning their second consecutive title. This edition of the Asian Cup is being hailed as one of the most evenly matched tournaments in recent memory, with the Middle Eastern ‘sandstorm’ of Qatar and Jordan joined by a strong showing from Southeast Asian nations.
Qatar defeated Jordan 3-1 in the final of the tournament at Lusail Stadium in Qatar on Nov. 11, led by a record-breaking penalty kick hat-trick from Akram Afif (Al Sadd). It was Qatar’s second consecutive Asian Cup title, following the 2019 tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 안전카지노사이트 After winning the assist title four years ago, Afif was the tournament’s top scorer (eight goals) and Most Valuable Player (MVP) this year.
The two nations that met in the final of the tournament have come to symbolize the leveling of power in Asian soccer. Qatar cruised to the top of their group and went on to win the tournament unbeaten, defeating Palestine (2-1), Uzbekistan (1-1 on penalties), and Iran (3-2 on penalties).
Jordan was an early surprise in the group stage, picking up wins over Malaysia (4-0) and South Korea (2-2). Although the team struggled to reach the round of 16 after falling to Bahrain (0-1) and finishing third in the group, they showed a fearsome comeback with wins over Iraq (3-2) and Tajikistan (1-0), as well as a convincing win in the return match against South Korea (2-0). Elsewhere, nine of the 11 Middle Eastern nations that participated in the tournament made a big splash, reaching the round of 16.
Southeast Asia also made a strong showing. Thailand advanced to the round of 16 on their own (second in their group) after defeating Kyrgyzstan (2-0) and drawing 0-0 with Oman and Saudi Arabia, respectively. Indonesia tormented their opponents with unexpected performances against Japan (1-3) in the group stage and Australia (0-4) in the round of 16. Malaysia, ranked 130th in the FIFA rankings, also impressed, scoring a whopping three goals against South Korea (3-3) in the group stage.
The traditional powerhouses, on the other hand, fared poorly. Japan, the team with the most Europeans (20), slipped to second place in the group after falling to Iraq (1-2), while South Korea struggled to register a single shot on target in their quarterfinal match against Jordan. This shift in the soccer landscape marked the first Asian Cup in which the traditional Big Five (South Korea Japan Australia Iran Saudi Arabia) did not make the final.
AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa also said that Asian soccer has been leveled. “Over the years, we have been working to close the gap between the traditional powerhouses and the underdogs,” he said on the AFC website on Nov. 11, emphasizing that “there are no easy games or predictable outcomes when Asian teams meet.”