Qatar beats Lebanon 3-0 in the opening game of the AFC Asian Cup with a dominating performance. The Group A game took place in Lusail Stadium on Friday. The stadium also hosted the FIFA World Cup Final in 2022, between Argentina and France.
In the game, Qatar’s forward Akram Afif delivered an outstanding performance, scoring two goals and showcasing himself as the key player for Qatar. His first goal came in the 45th minute, and in the 96th minute, he demonstrated both speed and skill for a crucial and decisive finish.
Akram Afif previously scored 13 goals and provided 8 assists for his domestic club Al-Sadd in the Qatar Stars League before coming into the mega event. Almoez Ali scored the second goal of the game with a textbook header from the 18-yard box, giving control to the AFC Asian Cup defending champions in their opening game.
The defending Asian Cup champions will now face Tajikistan on January 17 and China on January 22, if they win one game out of these two fixtures, they will qualify for the Round of 16.
According to AFC Asian Cup rules, the top two sides from each group will be joined by best-ranked third-place teams. The four best-ranked, third-place teams out of the six groups will also qualify.
Today, India is set to face Australia in the 18th edition of the competition, aiming to cause an upset in Group B. The Blue Tigers, representing the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), stand as the sole team from the region participating in this year’s AFC Asian Cup. This marks their fifth appearance in the tournament.
