Doha –
host Qatar advance to the final 2023 Asian Cup after beating Iran 3-2 in the semifinals. The hope of defending the title won in 2019 is now increasingly wide open.
Playing at Al Thumama Stadium, Wednesday (7/2/2024), Iran took a quick lead in the 4th minute through Sardar Azmoun. The AS Roma striker grabbed Qatar defender Pedro Miguel’s bad sweep with an overhead kick that hit the right corner of goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham’s goal.
This advantage only lasted briefly because Qatar managed to equalize the score in the 17th minute. Jassem Gaber completed Akram Afif’s pass with a long-range shot. The ball hit Saeid Ezatolahi before going into the goal guarded by Alireza Beiranvand.
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In the 43rd minute, Qatar took the lead. Afif made a cut-inside from the left side which Iran’s back line then tried to block. Even though he was surrounded by four opposing players, Beiranvand couldn’t stop his shot into the right corner of the Iranian goal. The 2-1 score lasted until the break.
In the second half, Iran was awarded a penalty in the 49th minute due to a handball by Qatar midfielder Ahmed Fathi in the forbidden box. Alireza Jahanbakhsh stepped forward as executor and managed to outwit Barsham. The score is 2-2.
Qatar continues to try to add goals. The opportunity came through Yusuf Abdurisag in the 53rd minute, but Beiranvand successfully blocked it. Almoez Ali’s header in the 72nd minute was also easily saved by the 31 year old goalkeeper.
Iran also has a chance. Azmoun almost scored the second goal of the match with a header in the 75th minute, but Boualem Khoukhi swiftly swept the ball across the Qatar goal line, preventing a goal.
At the end of the second half, Qatar finally managed to get the third goal in the 82nd minute. Abdel Aziz Hatem’s long-range shot actually landed at Almoez’s feet in the penalty box. Calmly, he fired a shot into the right corner of the Iranian goal without Beiranvand being able to block it.
The Video Assistant Referee checked the goal because Almouz was suspected of being offside, but the 27-year-old striker was declared onside so the goal was approved. The score was 3-2 for Qatar.
Iran tried to equalize the score, but had to play with 10 men in the 90+3 minute after Shojae Khalilzadeh was given a red card for a foul on Afif who was running towards the Iranian goal to score.
In the end, Iran could not use more than 15 minutes of injury time to score a goal. For the second time in a row, Qatar successfully reached the final. This time they will be challenged by Jordan, who previously eliminated South Korea 2-0.
Lineup
Iran: Alireza Beiranvand, Ramin Rezaeian (Shahriyar Moghanlou 87′), Hossein Kanani, Shojae Khalilzadeh, Ehsan Hajsafi (Milad Mohammadi 46′), Omid Ebrahimi (Mohammad Mohebi 46′), Saeid Ezatolahi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mehdi Taremi (Reza Asadi 90+ 8′), Saman Ghoddos, Sardar Azmoun.
Qatar: Meshaal Barsham, Lucas Mendes, Almahdi Ali (Boualem Khoukhi 68′), Pedro Miguel (Tarek Salman 63′), Hammam Al-Amin (Ismaeel Mohammad 46′), Mohammed Waad, Ahmed Fathi, Jassem Gaber (Abdel Aziz Hatem 81′ ), Yusuf Abdurisag (Hasan Al Haydos 63′), Akram Afif, Almoez Ali.
(adp/then)