Qatar wins the 2019 Asian Cup: record holder Almoez Ali leads the underdogs to the historic title

Qatar won the Asian Cup for the first time after beating Japan 3-1 in the final in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

The Felix Sanchez team played in the group stage and the round of 16 with a perfect record, and conceded no goals before the second half in the final to seal the country's first major trophy.

The hosts of the 2022 World Cup were led by Almoez Ali, a 22-year-old striker, who broke the tournament goals record dramatically by winning the opener against Japan.

At the start of the deciding match, Almoez group star scored eight goals in the final to equal the record of the single tournament of Iranian striker Ali Daei of the 1996 edition.

And Almoez only took 12 minutes at Zayed Sports City Stadium to win this honor with a sensational goal.

After controlling the center of Akram Hbadan Afif, the striker gave himself a sublime shot for the center of the head that allowed the post to score in the ninth of the tournament.

Barely 15 minutes later, Abdelaziz Hatim opened the scoring to 25 yards. Japan cut the deficit in the 69th minute in the 69th minute thanks to Takumi Minamino.

Qatar had the opportunity to seal the win at the end of the match, however, when the referee sanctioned Maya Yoshida for a handball in the box after consulting VAR. Akram Hbadan Afif intensified his efforts to convert to a locality and end the contest.

The Qataris finished the campaign with seven consecutive wins, scoring 19 goals. Almoez has imposed himself as the star man with an unprecedented total of goals, his most impressive draw ahead of Qatar facing North Korea in the second game of the group stage.

Almoez scored four times in this match and prepared Abdelkarim Hbadan to complete the score at 6-0.

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Almoez then scored both goals as Qatar defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 to secure first place, but it was Bbadam Hisham Al-Rawi and Hatim who made the difference while leading tight matches against Iraq and South Korea.

The semifinal against tournament organizers, the UAE, proved more comfortable, Akram Afif pulling the strings in a 4-0 win. He scored three goals, including one for Almoez and his star striker for a historic final.

After their impressive victory over Japan, Felix Sanchez's team hopes to maintain that momentum as it prepares for its participation in the Copa America tournament in Brazil.