Afif, Almoez sparkle as clinical Qatar crush Lebanon 3-0

Defending champions Qatar Friday launched their AFC Asian Cup 2023 campaign on a winning note with a crushing 3-0 win over Lebanon at the iconic Lusail Stadium.
Striker Akram Afif managed a double (45 and 90+6) while Al Duhail forward Almoez Ali found the net in the 56th minute to give the 2019 champions three points from the Group A clash watched by 82,490 fans.
With Friday's second-half strike, Almoez - the MVP from Qatar's victorious 2019 campaign in the UAE - has now 10 goals in AFC Asian Cup history.
It was Qatar's seventh win over Lebanon in eight fixtures while it was the eighth successive win for the defending champions following their seven on the trot at the 2019 edition. Four years ago, Qatar also beat Lebanon in their opening game.
From the start, Qatar - ranked 58 in the world - exhibited good intent though their finishing lacked bite.
In the second minute of the Group A clash, Afif found Abdulaziz Hatem with a cross to the left but the midfielder was slow to react in the first attack on the Lebanon box. A minute later, Qatar captain Hasan Al Haydos deflected a shot to Afif who - despite being in the box - couldn't find space to aim at the goal.
In the sixth minute, Qatar seemingly opened the scoring but the goal was disallowed as off-side. Almoez, despite being marked by defender Nour Mansour, charged into the box and slipped the ball past keeper Mostafa Ali Matar - after Hatem sent a through ball - but the move was flagged off-side. A VAR ruling seconds later upheld the linesman's decision.
Lebanon, probably playing in front of the biggest crowd in their football history, managed a corner in the 10th minute. Qatar's Lucas Mendedes headed away a loopy corner kick ahead of Lebanon's Walid Adel Shour.
Shortly afterwards Almoez jumped high to head a ball in teammate Yousuf Abdurisag's direction near the edge of the Lebanon box. Abdulrisag fired a long-range shot which was off target in the 12th minute. Lebanon defender Hussein Ali Zein managed to get near the Qatar box but his low shot - under pressure from Mendes - lacked power a minute later.
At the 20-minute mark, Afif curled in a free-kick but Almahdi Ali's snap-header was cleaned up by keeper Mataar. Moments later, Lebanon's Shour went long-range with his shot but he was found wanting on the angle as the ball dribbled away from the Qatar net. Zein wasted a golden opportunity in the 25th minute when he found time and space to execute a powerful shot but his bullet was saved by keeper Meshal Barsham, brother of track and field star Mutaz.
Soon after the half-hour mark, Afif found slick header but the shot hit the Lebanon crossbar following a cross from Abdurisag, Qatar let go another chance soon afterward to find the net when Hatem - on a cross from Afif lurking inside the Lebanon box - saw his shot blocked by a defender Zein.
At the 45-minute mark, Afif produced a well-timed shot from inside the Lebanon box to score his team's much-wanted opening goal following a series of attacks that lacked finish. In a moment of defensive amnesia, Lebanon allowed Mohamed Waad's cross to fester in the box.
Almoez, alert and predatory, pounced on the confusion, feeding the ball flawlessly to Afif. With goalkeeper Matar rooted to the spot, Afif calmly slotted home, etching his name onto the scoreboard and punishing Lebanon's lapse in concentration at Lusail Stadium where a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina beat France on penalties in the FIFA World Cup final a little over a year ago.
Galvanized by the halftime break, Lebanon launched into the second half with a flurry of intent. Bassel Jradi, Lebanon's talisman, unleashed a thunderbolt from just outside the box in the 47th minute only for Qatari defender Pedro Miguel to deflect the effort over the bar. The missed opportunity was a microcosm of Lebanon's frustrations, highlighting their resilience while showcasing Qatar's defensive steel.
Qatar doubled their lead in the 56th minute when Almoez headed home after a cross from Waad on the left. Afif, who clearly was a busy striker for Qatar, scored his second of the night with a late goal in injury time.
Qatar will look to another impressive show on Jan 17 when they face Tajikistan. Lebanon will take on China PR the same day.