In a captivating semifinal clash at Al Thumama Stadium, Almoez Ali propelled Qatar into the Asian Cup final with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Iran. Ali’s decisive goal in the 82nd minute sealed the host and defending champion’s place in the final against Jordan, scheduled for Saturday at Lusail Stadium, the same venue where Argentina clinched the World Cup in 2022.
The match witnessed both teams surrendering winning positions, creating an intense and unpredictable atmosphere. Sardar Azmoun gave Iran an early lead with an impressive overhead kick in the fourth minute. Qatar responded with a deflected equalizer from Jassem Gaber in the 17th minute, setting the stage for a back-and-forth encounter.
Akram Afif, Qatar’s standout striker in the tournament, added to the excitement by scoring his fifth goal with a brilliant individual effort in the 43rd minute. Cutting into the box, Afif unleashed a shot beyond Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
Iran leveled the game once again six minutes into the second half, with Alireza Jahanbakhsh converting a penalty after a handball from Ahmed Fathy. With the score tied at 2-2, the match hung in the balance until Almoez Ali, the leading scorer in the 2019 Asian Cup, secured his second goal of the current campaign with a low shot from inside the box late in the game.
Despite Iran being reduced to 10 men after Shoja Khalilzadeh was sent off for a foul on Afif, Jahanbakhsh came close to forcing extra time, hitting the post in the 14th minute of stoppage time. Qatar’s thrilling victory sets the stage for an eagerly anticipated final against Jordan as they aim for back-to-back Asian Cup titles.
