Defending Champion Qatar Beats Lebanon 3-0 in Perfect Start for Asian Cup Host Nation

Qatar's forward #11 Akram Afif celebrates with forward #07 Ahmed Alaaeldin after scoring his team's third goal during the AFC Qatar 2023 Asian Cup Group A football match between Qatar and Lebanon at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on January 12, 2024. (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP)

Qatar began its defense of the Asian Cup in perfect style with a 3-0 win against Lebanon at Lusail Stadium on Friday.
As host of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar suffered three straight defeats and exited its own tournament at the earliest possible stage.
But hosting the Asian Cup for the third time, Qatar got off to an impressive start after two goals from Akram Afif and another from Almoez Ali secured victory in front of 82,490 fans, The Associated Press said.
"We are living today in a new day. Every day is the chance to compete and fight to hold the cup," Afif said after his starring performance in the stadium where Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup for Argentina just over a year ago.
He scored with clinical finishes at the end of each half, while Ali — the leading scorer when Qatar won the title in 2019 — also opened his account.
An injury to Ali in the second half was the only concern for Qatar coach Bartolome Marquez, but Afif proved how important he will be to his team's hopes of retaining the Asian Cup.
“Akram Afif is one of the best players in Asia and he can play in Europe also. He is really a leader of this team and with his quality he decided tonight's game,” Lebanon coach Miodrag Radulovic said.
The forward opened the scoring in the 45th and rounded off the win in stoppage time at the end of the Group A match.
Ali struck in the 56th, but looked in discomfort as he limped off the field in the 77th minute, holding the back of his leg.
Qatar is staging the tournament after original host China withdrew as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was supposed to be held in 2023, but was delayed by a year.
At the World Cup Qatar became the first host nation to lose its opening match and the first to be eliminated after two games.
This, then, was a chance to give its fans something to cheer.
Many had turned up early for a lavish opening ceremony based on the fable “The Lost Chapter of Kelileh and Demneh,” featuring actors in animal costumes, songs and fireworks that lit the sky.
The performance “celebrated the spirit of camaraderie across the diverse cultures of Asia,” organizers said. And that spirit was underlined as Qatar captain Hassan Al Haydos handed the honor of taking the pre-tournament oath to the Palestinian team’s Musab Battat.
Watching on from the VIP section was Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Ali had the home crowd celebrating after just six minutes when he side-footed past Lebanon goalkeeper Mostafa Matar from close range. The offside flag would cut those celebrations short, but it was an early indication of the threat posed by Qatar.
Afif later clipped the top of the bar with a header before finding the back of the net when firing home from inside the box after Ali's layoff.
Ali doubled Qatar’s lead after halftime when he was unmarked in the area and headed in Mohammed Waad’s curling cross from the left.
Afif made it 3-0 in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time when charging into the box and lifting a shot over Matar.