AFC Asian Cup: Qatar begin title defence with comfortable 3-0 victory over Lebanon

Asian Cup hosts Qatar began their title defence with a 3-0 victory over Lebanon in the tournament opener on Friday, with a brace from prized playmaker Akram Afif and a goal from Almoez Ali.

Following a glitzy opening ceremony at the Lusail Stadium, which included Qatar's ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Afif put on a show of his own, securing three valuable points for their campaign.

Qatar scored early on through the 2019 tournament's top scorer Ali, and the crowd went wild when he found the net, but the euphoria quickly faded when everyone saw the linesman's flag up for offside.

The hosts dominated the first half, but Lebanon gradually found their feet, with veteran captain Hassan Maatouk firing a warning shot straight at Qatar goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham.

Afif was the busiest player in the final third, staying two steps ahead of the Lebanon defence by finding space and creating numerous opportunities, while his header grazed the crossbar on its way over.

The Al-Sadd player's perseverance paid off on the stroke of halftime, when Ali trapped the ball inside the box, saw an unmarked Afif arrive, and backed away, allowing his 27-year-old strike partner to score as the crowd erupted.

Ali scored nine goals in the 2019 tournament and continued his scoring streak when he doubled Qatar's lead 11 minutes after the restart, heading home a delightful cross from Mohammed Waad on the flank.

The goal boosted Qatar's confidence, and they routinely broke through Lebanon's defence.

Meanwhile, their less illustrious opponents struggled to string together passes when they entered Qatar's half.

Afif sealed the victory in stoppage time, capitalizing on a botched clearance and easily accelerating past a tired Lebanon defence before finishing calmly to make it 3-0.

The victory may provide some solace to home fans after Qatar lost all three World Cup group games in 2022, but Afif stated that those demons were banished 13 months ago.

China will play Tajikistan in the other Group A game on Saturday.

SportsLigue