Al Thumama Stadium, Qatar – Qatar’s dream of profitable a second successive Asian title, and doing it in entrance of their house crowd, has reached its remaining vacation spot after the hosts fought their well past Asian giants Iran within the second semifinal of the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
Qatar got here again from conceding a purpose within the fourth minute to complete the sport 3-2 on prime in a closely-contested sport of end-to-end motion and excessive drama on the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha on Wednesday.
It was the tip of the highway for Iran’s golden era of footballers, who had brushed apart match favourites Japan within the quarterfinal and had overcome a spirited Syrian facet in a penalty shootout of their first knockout sport.
Their followers, 1000’s of whom had turned as much as each Iran sport and backed their group during the motion with relentless chanting and clapping, had been left questioning how for much longer they must look forward to a fourth Asian title.
The worst nightmare
Qatar got here into the match on the again of their first actual check within the match, once they had been taken all the best way to a penalty shootout by Uzbekistan, and the prospect of going through the continent’s second-best facet Iran was a reason behind concern for his or her followers forward of kickoff.
The hosts’ newly appointed coach Marquez Lopez had additionally termed the semifinal his group’s “hardest check but” after going undefeated within the match to date.
Their worst nightmare became a actuality when Iran’s out-of-form striker Sardar Azmoun struck the again of the web with an overhead kick within the first couple of minutes.
𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁. 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗿𝘆🏆@qatarairways #GoingPlacesTogether#QatarAirways | #AsianCup2023 | #HayyaAsia pic.twitter.com/Q4tY2rZHDs
— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) February 7, 2024
The roaring begin drove Iran’s confidence and pushed Qatar to search for an equaliser. Because of this, the sport swung from one finish of the pitch to the opposite, and Qatar lastly levelled within the seventeenth minute with a scrappy end from Jassem Gaber.
The followers of the al-Annabi – the Maroons – breathed a collective sigh of reduction and at last discovered their voice.
The primary half was edging in the direction of its finish with a 1-1 scoreline till Qatar’s favorite footballing son, Akram Afif, produced a second of magic to place the house facet within the lead and set off wild celebrations within the stands.
He shot from the sting of Iran’s field and noticed the ball land within the far-right nook for one of many targets of the match.
Iran followers watched on in surprised silence for a couple of minutes earlier than resuming their cheering duties.
When the sport resumed, each groups surged ahead looking for extra targets, and Iran had their makes an attempt rewarded with a penalty after a VAR test on an Iran nook. Crew Melli’s captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh stepped up and coolly slotted house to convey his group to degree.
The 2019 hero finds his ft once more
Each groups drove the sport from one finish to the opposite and the gang rode alongside on a wave of feelings.
Lopez, who was livid at his defenders for letting Iran run in with a number of probabilities, was given a yellow card. In the meantime, Iran’s coach Amir Ghalenoei was a lot calmer as he watched Qatar launch assault after assault.
The followers had been on their ft as the possibilities stored coming for each side within the final 20 minutes.
In the long run, it was Qatar’s hero from their 2019 title-winning run Almoez Ali who discovered the ball at his ft in entrance of an open purpose and struck the decisive purpose.
The native crowd swung their scarves and swayed to Qatar’s unofficial soccer anthem “Shoomilah Shoomilah” as they got here inside touching distance of the ultimate.
Iran, being the robust opponents they’re, didn’t relent however one way or the other couldn’t discover a well past the Qatari purpose.
FT | 🇮🇷 IR Iran 2️⃣-3️⃣ Qatar 🇶🇦
Qatar qualify for #AsianCupFinal for a second consecutive time after an enormous win towards three-time champions IR Iran! 👏#AsianCup2023 | #HayyaAsia | #IRNvQAT pic.twitter.com/guODlYplBK
— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) February 7, 2024
The referee added 13 minutes of stoppage time, a lot to the bemusement of Qatar, however Iran nonetheless failed to interrupt even.
In the long run, because the referee’s full-time whistle blew, the lads in white collapsed on the pitch with damaged hearts and drained our bodies.
These in maroon ran as much as their followers to hitch within the celebrations.
Ghalenoei lower a distraught determine within the Iranian technical space.
Later, in his post-match press convention, he informed reporters they need to blame him alone for the heartbreaking loss as his gamers had “given their all”.
“In the present day was one of many worst days of my life,” he went on so as to add.
“However now, our work begins on constructing a group for the 2026 World Cup,” he mentioned earlier than trudging off.
Qatar’s hero and participant of the match, Afif, admitted the sport wasn’t a straightforward one to be a part of however was grateful for the win. He mentioned the perfect was “but to return” from his group, who discover themselves in an enviable place of getting an opportunity to win an Asian Cup title at house.
Their fellow Arab nation and one of many success tales of this Asian Cup, Jordan, stand of their method.
Marquez, who has turned the Maroons’ fortunes round within the area of some weeks, mentioned his group will have a good time tonight however get again to work on Thursday in a bid to retain their title.
As for the al-Annabi’s followers, they beeped their automobiles out of the stadium and all the best way as much as Souq Waqif within the coronary heart of the capital with “Shoomilah Shoomilah” on full blast.
