Qatar, the host country, began its defense campaign for the Asian Football Cup title with a 3-0 victory over Lebanon in the opening match of the tournament thanks to a brace by Akram Afif and a goal by Almoez Ali at Lusail Stadium on Friday.
Afif, who completed Qatar's goals in the 3-1 win over Japan in the 2019 Asian Cup final in the UAE, opened the double in the last minute of the first half with a creeping low shot after a backward pass from his teammate Al Moez, who added the second goal in the 56th minute with a header.
Afif concluded the hat-trick in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The opening match of the tournament in Group A, which also includes the teams of China and Tajikistan, was held at Lusail Stadium, which hosted the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France.
Al-Moez, who scored the most goals in one edition of the tournament with nine goals in the last edition, scored a goal in the sixth minute from the start with a creeping low shot, but the referee canceled it for offside.
Youssef Abdel Razzaq sent a powerful shot in the 13th minute, which passed near the left post of Mustafa Matar, the Lebanese goalkeeper, and in the 19th minute, Mahdi Ali sent a powerful header that Matar blocked twice.
Immediately afterwards, Qatar's goalkeeper, Mishal Barshim, blocked a powerful long-range shot from Lebanon's captain, Hassan Maatouq, before blocking another powerful shot from Hussein Zein in the 25th minute.
Afif came close to opening the scoring in the 31st minute with a header that hit the crossbar and went into a goal kick.
Lebanon started the second half strongly with a shot from Maatouk that hit the defense and went into a corner kick in the second minute after the end of the break.
Contrary to the run of play, Al-Moez scored the second goal for the hosts with a wonderful header following a perfect cross pass from Mohamed Waad in the 56th minute.
Qatar defender Mahdi Ali saved his goal with a powerful shot from the right side of Barshim’s goal when he turned the ball into a corner kick in the 68th minute
. 81 Substitute Omar Beyoujil almost reduced the gap for Lebanon, but his shot from close range hit the defense and went into a corner kick.
The other substitute, Omar Shaaban, sent a powerful shot that passed close to Barshim’s goal, and immediately afterward, Afif almost scored the third goal for the hosts after an error by the Lebanese defense, which quickly remedied the situation.
In the third minute of stoppage time, Shaaban sent a powerful header, but it fell into Barshim's hand.
Three minutes later, Afif skillfully penetrated Lebanon's penalty area before putting the ball into Mattar's goal with his left hand.