Semifinals Of The 2023 Asian Cup In Figures

Yazid Abu Layla, Jordan's goalkeeper, holds a clean-sheet record for two consecutive matches in the knockout stages of the 2023 Asian Cup (doc. AFC).

The 2023 Asian Cup semifinals have been completed on February 7, 2024. Two teams managed to win final tickets, namely Jordan and Qatar.

Before the top party rolled out, the 2023 Asian Cup semifinals alone had given birth to many dramas.

Almoez Ali became the determinant of Qatar's victory over Iran. His goal in the 82nd minute buried Iran's dream to the top after losing 2-3.

Meanwhile, Jordan had to thank Yazan Al-Naimat and Musa Al-Taamari for goals. The two winning goals made South Korea's efforts to win the Asian Cup for the first time since 1960.

Jordan stepped into the final after beating South Korea 2-0 and will meet Qatar.

Afif Tak Terbendung

One more goal and one assist from Akram Afif in the match against Iran made the striker's record increase to five goals and three assists in the 2023 Asian Cup.

He is now only one goal behind the 2023 Asian Cup top scorer, Aymen Hussein (Irak). While the three assists on behalf of Afif were the most in the tournament.

Afif has the opportunity to chase even beyond Aymen Hussein in the final match against Jordan for the 2023 Asian Cup top score award.

Second Fastest Goal

ARD Azmoun opened Iran's lead against Qatar. The goal was recorded as the second fastest goal with a time of three minutes and 10 seconds.

The win was the fastest goal in the knockout and second fastest in the whole tournament.

The only goal faster than Azmoun was scored by Karim Ansarifard, also from Iran. Ansarifard broke into the Palestinian goal when the time had only been one minute and three seconds in the group phase.

Two Clean-sheets In A Row

Jordan was the only team to score two consecutive cleansheets in the knockout stages. Goalkeeper Yazid Abu Layla did not concede in the quarter-finals or semi-finals of the 2023 Asian Cup.

Australia only managed to carve a clean sheet when overthrowing the Indonesian national team 4-0 in the round of 16.

Most Important Player

Hwang In-beom became the player with the most touch (117) and a successful pass (90) compared to any other player in the 2023 Asian Cup semifinals. The South Korean midfielder became an actor when his team dominated the game over Jordan.

Taegeuk Warriors controlled nearly 70 percent of possession in the semifinals, even though they were unable to penetrate Jordan's formidable defense without a single shot on target.

The Most Effective Counterattack

Jordan again appeared very effective when carrying out a counter-attack on South Korea's defense in the semifinals. The scheme resulted in a second goal through a beautiful finish of Musa Al-Taamari's shot.

Jordan has now scored four goals from a quick counter-attack, the most from any team. Jordan's quick counter-attack proved powerful and the opponent's defense was often struggling to make a transition.

Iran's Curse

Iran again failed to advance to the final. This situation is the third time that Team Melli has experienced, Iran's nickname. Previously, in the last two editions, Iran had always stopped in the semifinals of the Asian Cup.

In addition, the defeat to Qatar in the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Cup marks the seventh time Iran has been eliminated in the top four throughout the participation of the largest tournament in Asia.

Iran has won the Asian Cup three times. However, since they were last named champions in 1976, they have not surpassed the semifinals.

Unbeaten

Qatar's winning record (in normal time) at the Asian Cup stalled at 11 when they drew 1-1 against Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals (which they won on penalties).

They previously always won in the last seven matches in the Asian Cup, the 2019 edition, which led to the title.

Qatar's greatness continues in the 2023 Asian Cup. They won three group stage matches and the round of 16. However, this slick record was stopped in the quarter-finals against Uzbekistan.

However, Qatar's unbeaten record in the Asian Cup continues which has reached 13 times until the semifinals of this year's edition.

The last time Qatar lost was in the 2015 edition of the Asian Cup in the group stage against Bahrain.

In addition, a 3-2 victory over Iran ended six consecutive defeats in all competitions against Team Melli.

Never Lost To South Korea

Jordan has met South Korea three times in the Asian Cup. The first encounter occurred when they debuted in the 2004 edition.

Jordan drew 0-0 against Taegeuk Warriors when the tournament was held in China.

In the 2023 Asian Cup, Jordan met twice. The first clash occurred in the group stage when the match ended in a 2-2 draw.

Finally, they were reunited in the semifinals. This time, Jordan managed to win 2-0 and continued his record of never losing to South Korea. It was Jordan's first win over South Korea after losing three and drawing once in their game outside the Asian Cup.