Qatar reach Asian Cup final after feisty Iran battle

A pumped up Qatar Wednesday battled the odds in glorious fashion to carve out a fighting 3-2 win over Iran to reach the final of the AFC Asian Cup for the second successive time.
Qatar, who are set to rise to 41 in FIFA rankings after their latest win, have set up the final against Jordan at Lusail Stadium on Saturday.
The defending champions last night were guided home with an exhilarating display from striker Akram Afif who scored once and set the ball rolling for the other two goals as the hosts stopped Iran from reaching their first final since 1976.
Afif probably scored the goal of the tournament in the 43rd minute when he hoodwinked three markers before he unleashed a curling right-footed drive that went to the left of Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
The other two goals for Qatar were scored by Jassem Gaber in the 17th minute after being fed by a low cross from Afif from the right flank. Almoez Ali, the MVP from Qatar's historic 2019 title win, delivered the winning goal in the 82 minute after a cross from Hatem Aziz who was fed by Afif at Al Thumama Stadium.
With football icon David Beckham watching from the VIP enclosure, Qatar survived a fierce onslaught from Iran in the last 8 minutes of the feisty contest that saw 16 minutes of stoppage time added.
The semi-final had everything. A red card, a series of in-your face verbal battles among the players of the two sides across the two halves and after-match clashes on the touchline near the team dugouts.
The hotly-contested match saw Iran centre-back Shojae Khalilzadeh shown the red card following a VAR referral by the referee in injury time after a rough tackle on Afif who was clearly Qatar's X factor in the match.
"I'm very happy for everybody, the people of Qatar, the fans and the players. It was a complicated match but I think we played well. The players did not spare any effort," a beaming Qatar coach Marquez Lopez told reporters after the match.
"The players implemented my philosophy and ideas on the pitch so they deserve my thanks... Now we have one final step left to defend our title," the 59-year-old added. Qatar captain Hasan al-Haydos, who did not start the match, came on early in the second half.
The match started off with Iran silencing the 40,342 fans at Al Thumama Stadium when Iran's Sardar Azmoun scored with a bicycle kick in the fourth minute from inside the Qatar box.
Qatar's Gaber scored the euqaliser shortly afterwards when he benefited from a heavy deflection off Saeed Ezatolahi inside the Iran box with the ball looping into the net to the right of keeper Beiranvand.
With the teams level, Afif produced a classic solo effort from close to the Iran box. Marked by three Iranian players, Afif swiveled and then after creating a tiny space, the 27-year-old Al Sadd star curled in a breathtaking shot that sailed into the net with swing and late dip. It was Afif's fifth goal of the tournament.
Iran's Jahanbakhsh converted an easy penalty that was the result of VAR referral by referee Ahmad Alali following a handball by Qatar defender Ahmed Fatehi inside the box. In the dying seconds of the clash, Jahanbakhsh hit the Qatari goalpost to see his team's chances of equalizing in the tense semi-final evaporate into thin air.
Afif - who was the star for the home side - failed to take advantage in a one-on-one battle with Iran keeper Beiranvand seconds after the half-hour mark. Late in the second half, Afif fed Almoez an easy cross but the Al Duhail skipper failed to convert with only keeper Beiranvand to beat.
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei apologised to team fans after the match.
"I want to apologise to the Iranian people because we had the responsibility to make them happy. The second half was the best performance we've had since I've been in charge of the national team," Ghalenoei said.
He added: "But this is football, and if you don't take your chances then you will be punished. If you're looking for someone responsible for this defeat, it is me - not the federation or players. I think today was one of the worst days I've had in my life."
Wednesday's win was Qatar's first in seven matches against their opponents ranked 20 in the world.