Jordan's dream will therefore have stopped a few centimeters from the Grail, in the final of the Asian Cup of Nations.
The selection, led by Montpellier's Musa Al-Tamari, an absolute
outsider
in this competition, ended up losing in the final against Qatar this Saturday, February 10 (1-3).
If, on paper, it was the Jordanians who hosted this meeting, it was indeed the Qataris, the host country, who were playing at home on the lawn of the Lusail stadium, whose 80,000 seats were won over to the cause of Al-
Annabi
.
Three penalties for Qatar
In a match that was closed for a long time and very physically involved, often interrupted by stoppages of play due to fouls (26 in total), the two teams were able to capitalize on the few big chances they had.
It was all a story of penalties for the Qataris, who took the advantage in the middle of the first period thanks to a penalty kick, awarded after viewing the VAR following a foul by Nasib on Akram Afif.
The Qatari number 11 took justice into his own hands with a cross shot (0-1, 22nd).
The magic trick celebration of Akram Afif, scorer with Qatar in #AsianCupFinal!
🇶🇦🪄pic.twitter.com/elFGmi9dDz
— Instant Foot ⚽️ (@lnstantFoot) February 10, 2024
In an almost identical scenario, down to the choice of the side where he struck, it was again he who gave the advantage back to the Qataris at the very end of the match (2-1, 73rd), before widening the gap, a again at eleven meters, after a long video intervention at the very end of the match (3-1, 90th + 6).
A hat-trick in the final which gives Afif the title of top scorer in the competition (8 goals).
Jordan had nevertheless dominated the second half
The Jordanians, faithful to their brilliant run in the competition (during which they notably eliminated Lee Kang-in's South Korea) had nevertheless very logically returned to the score, ultra-dominant in the second half.
And in a very good way: following a cross from the right, Yazan Al Naimat finally found the fault on a superb sequence of control and half-volley in the area, leaving no chance for Meshaal Barsham (1-1, 67th).
Already champions in 2019, in the Emirates, the Qataris this time won the second Asian Nations Cup in their history at home, the second in a row, therefore.
For the Jordanians, it is a superb epic which ends, unfortunately, in a somewhat cruel way.