Qatar defend title after Akram Afif hat-trick secures 3-1 win vs Jordan in final

Hosts Qatar retained the Asian Cup with a 3-1 win on Saturday against surprise packages Jordan with Akram Afif the home hero with a hat-trick of penalties. It was a fitting final act to a month of football that began with 24 teams and witnessed a series of dramatic games.

It will also help dispel the memories of Qatar's World Cup, when they lost all three games, the worst record of any host in the competition's history. Playing in front of 86,492 spectators at Lusail Stadium, which staged the World Cup final 14 months ago, Jordan were in their first Asian Cup final and contesting the biggest game in their history.

Ranked 87th in FIFA's world rankings, 29 places below their opponents, they fell behind midway through the first half when forward Afif held his nerve with a penalty for his sixth goal of the tournament.