Asian Cup Host Nation Qatar Advances to Quarterfinals, Defeating Palestine Despite ‘Sorrow of War’

Afif made a great performance with 1 goal and 1 assist… Ranked 2nd in scoring with 4 goals

The host country, Qatar, achieved a comeback victory over Palestine, whose country was engulfed in war, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup.

Qatar came from behind to win 2-1 over Palestine in the round of 16 of the tournament held at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar on the 29th (local time) thanks to the performance of Akram Afif, who scored 1 goal and 1 assist. 파워볼

The Qatar, which achieved its first-ever victory in the 2019 United Arab Emirates (UAE) tournament, cruised to its second consecutive Asian Cup victory.

Qatar won all three matches against Tajikistan, China, and Lebanon in the group stage and advanced to the round of 16.

With this win, the winning streak was extended to four games.

If you include the UAE tournament record, where they have won all of their wins, it is 11 consecutive wins in the Asian Cup.

Afif, who scored the game-winning goal with a penalty kick, increased his score in the tournament to 4 goals and rose to second place after Iraq’s Ayman Hussein (6 goals), who was eliminated in the round of 16.

Palestine, which provided great comfort to the people suffering from the war between the armed political faction Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip, stopped its impressive run in the round of 16.

The Palestine ranked 3rd in Group C with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, including a win over Hong Kong, and advanced to the round of 16.

Palestine, ranked 99th in the FIFA rankings, actively opposed Qatar, ranked 58th, from the beginning and scored the first goal in the 37th minute of the first half.

Odai Dabbagh hit the Qatari net with a left-footed shot in front of two Qatari defenders.

Qatar equalized in the 51st minute of the first half when Hasan Alhaydos finished a corner kick with a ground ball from the right by Akram Afif with a right-footed non-stop shot.

It was a scene where the set-piece tactic that caught Palestine off guard stood out.

Qatar made a comeback in the 4th minute of the second half with Afif scoring a penalty kick.