Japan 1-3 Qatar: World Cup 2022 hosts win first ever Asian Cup with victory over Japan

World Cup 2022 hosts Qatar won their first ever Asian Cup with a 3-1 victory over four-time winners Japan.

Forward Almoez Ali broke the record of goals scored by a player at a single Asian Cup when he notched his ninth with a brilliant overhead kick.

Abdulaziz Hatem made it 2-0 with a 20-yard curled shot before Japan's Takumi Minamino fired in from inside the box.

It was 3-1 when Akram Afif converted from the spot after Southampton's Maya Yoshida had handled in the area.

VAR confirmed that the Saints defender had intentionally handled, although TV replays suggested he was unfortunate to see the decision go against him.

Afif's penalty meant he scored one goal and provided 10 assists, including two in the final, during Qatar's seven games at the competition in the United Arab Emirates.

Coach Felix Sanchez's side had gone 10 hours and eight minutes without conceding a single goal at this year's competition prior to Minamino's strike.

• Qatar impress three years out from hosting World Cup

• Line-ups
• Match Stats

Line-ups

Japan

Formation 4-4-2

12Gonda

19H Sakai16Tomiyasu22Yoshida5Nagatomo

21Doan18Shiotani7Shibasaki8Haraguchi

15Osako9Minamino

• 12Gonda
• 19H SakaiBooked at 86mins
• 16Tomiyasu
• 22YoshidaBooked at 82mins
• 5Nagatomo
• 21Doan
• 18ShiotaniSubstituted forItoat 84'minutes
• 7ShibasakiBooked at 20mins
• 8HaraguchiSubstituted forMutoat 62'minutes
• 15Osako
• 9MinaminoSubstituted forInuiat 89'minutes

Substitutes

• 1Higashiguchi
• 2Miura
• 3Muroya
• 4Sasaki
• 6Endo
• 10Inui
• 11Kitagawa
• 13Muto
• 14Ito
• 20Makino
• 23Schmidt

Qatar

Formation 5-3-2

1Al Sheeb

2Carvalho Deus Correia15Al Rawi16Khoukhi4Salman3Hassan Fadlalla

10Al Haydos23Madibo6Hatim

11Afif19Zainalabiddin Abdulla

• 1Al Sheeb
• 2Carvalho Deus CorreiaBooked at 90mins
• 15Al Rawi
• 16KhoukhiSubstituted forAl Hajriat 61'minutes
• 4Salman
• 3Hassan Fadlalla
• 10Al HaydosSubstituted forBoudiafat 74'minutes
• 23Madibo
• 6Hatim
• 11AfifBooked at 84mins
• 19Zainalabiddin AbdullaSubstituted forAl Aaeldin Abdelmotaalat 90+6'minutes

Substitutes

• 7Al Aaeldin Abdelmotaal
• 8Khaleefa Hamid
• 9Mohammed
• 12Boudiaf
• 13Al Muhaza
• 14Al Hajri
• 17Fahmi Mostafa
• 18Rashid Abdallah Al-Ali
• 20Afif Yahya
• 21Mohamed Ali
• 22Albakri

Referee:

Ravshan Irmatov

Attendance:

36,776

Match Stats

Home TeamJapanAway TeamQatar

Possession

Home62%

Away38%

Shots

Home12

Away9

Shots on Target

Home1

Away3

Corners

Home13

Away2

Fouls

Home20

Away8