JAKARTA - Qatar has successfully stepped into the 2023 Asian Cup final and will face Jordan at the Lusail Stadium on Saturday, February 10, 2024, at 22.00 WIB.
No one thought The Maroons could explore the top party. The public also had time to expect before the tournament that they doubted that Qatar would defend the Asian Cup title they won in the last edition of 2019.
However, it turned out that Qatar found another best touch as soon as it entered the first match of the 2023 Asian Cup.
Now, the chances of defending the Asian Cup trophy are open. At least, for now, Marquez Lopez's team are proud to be able to exceed the expectations of the fans.
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"A month before the tournament, no one expected us to reach the final and present a performance like this," said Qatari captain Hassan Al Haydos. "However, in collaboration with coaches and federations, the team was able to reach this level thanks to everyone's efforts and unity."
"I am very proud to be part of this squad, the players of this generation, and those who have remained in the team since the 2019 champions."
"Maybe it's not as interesting as 2019, but Asian football is transforming and the game will be even more difficult," said the 33-year-old.
After successfully surpassing expectations, Qatar looks at new hope. They want to defend their title and be included in the list of countries that have won two consecutive Asian Cup titles.
"Being here and sitting here. I played in the final, my team played in the final. Many think we won't reach the final, but we players, coaches, technical teams, and associations, have prepared well and this is us."
"The final match will be a difficult match, hopefully we can appear victorious," said Al Haydos.
If Qatar become champions, they will join four other countries that have successfully lifted the Asian Cup trophy for two consecutive editions.
Previously, there were already South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Japan who won consecutive editions of the Asian Cup trophy.
Iran became a team with the most successes in defending the title, which was three times in a row in 1968, 1972, and 1976.
Meanwhile, Japan is the most Asian Cup trophy collection country, which was four times in 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2011.
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