On the evening of February 7, 2024, in the second match of the semifinals of the Asian Cup, Iran faced the Qatar team. Just three minutes into the opening game, Iran scored a lightning goal, and Qatar's Afif scored twice in the 17th and 43rd minutes respectively to help Qatar take a 2-1 lead. Three minutes into the second half, Iran equalized from the penalty spot to make it 2-2. In the 83rd minute, the Qatar team overtook the score in a difficult situation. In the end, the Qatar team completed a desperate reversal 3-2 and successfully reached the final and met Jordan.
In the last round of the elimination of the Japanese team, the Iranian team spent a lot of physical effort, so this game looked a little weak in the face of the onslaught of the Qatar team. However, the strength of the Iranian team is there, and the defense is still relatively strong and tough. Both teams also strengthened their tackling in midfield, resulting in both teams not playing particularly smoothly in attack and not having a high pass success rate.
The blitzkrieg of the Iranian team in the first half was a surprise for the Qatari team. However, when the team faced difficulties, Qatar's Afif stepped up and scored 2 goals to help Qatar complete the comeback.
In the second half, the Iranian team completed another blitzkrieg in the first three minutes, but this time the way of blitzkrieg was a penalty. The penalty was awarded somewhat reluctantly. Because the Qatari player covered his face with his arm, he was hit on the hand. If a penalty is not awarded, it is actually reasonable. As a result, Iran's Jahansh scored a penalty to equalize again.
After Qatar conceded a second goal, they came close to finding the back of the net, but the Iranian defender headed the ball over. After the equaliser, the morale of the Iranian team was greatly boosted, and the "high pressure" in the midfield was adopted, and the Qatari team's backline encountered a certain threat.
In the 75th minute, the Iranian team kicked the head in front of the Qatar team's goal, almost facing the empty goal, but fortunately, the Qatari team was lucky to pull the ball out. It should be said that after the Qatar team made two substitutions in succession at the back, the pressure on the defensive line continued to increase. During this time, the Iranian team almost formed a siege on the Qatari team.
In the 82nd minute, Qatar took the lead again in a desperate situation, when Moez Ali received a pass from a team-mate in the box and fired a shot into the goal, but the goal was slightly suspected of offside. Time is running out for the Iranian team.
In the end, the Iranian team suffered a big reversal by the Qatar team and successfully met Jordan in the final. This victory also broke the embarrassing record of the Qatar team that could not defeat the Iranian team for 14 consecutive years.