AFC Asian Cup 2023 Final: Qatar predicted lineup against Jordan

The hosts have face Jordan in the final

Qatar are aiming to win their second consecutive AFC Asian Cup title when they face off against Jordan in the final of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup on Saturday (February 10). The Maroons have had a dream tournament and had to overcome major challenges to defeat Iran en route to the final.

Head coach Titin Marquez is seeking his first major title win as a manager and will need to shape up his side at their best to oust the spirited Jordan side. With that being said, let’s look at Qatar predicted lineup for the final”

Qatar predicted lineup (Formation: 352)

Goalkeeper: Meshaal Barsham

Barsham has become Qatar’s undisputed no.1 goalkeeper in the AFC Asian Cup and has proven himself as a reliable player between the sticks. He has already kept three clean sheets in the tournament and stood out in Qatar’s win over Uzbekistan on penalties in the quarter-final. Barsham is impressive in moving the ball forward and possesses some sharp shot-stopping reflexes, which he aims to put to use for one last charge against Jordan to taste Asian Cup success.

Centre-Back: Lucas Mendes

Despite only making his debut for Qatar last year in November, Lucas Mendes has proven his worth to Marquez’s squad by being one of the best players for them in the Asian Cup. The 33-year-old has helped command over a sturdy, compact defensive line and showcased impressive game-reading skills in clearing out danger before disaster strikes. He’s neutralized the threat of many intimidating forwards and aims for one final masterful performance in frustrating the dangerous Jordan forward line.

Centre-Back: Almahdi Ali Mukhtar

Almahdi Ali Mukhtar has made himself a mainstay in the Qatar team for the Asian Cup and is likely to be involved in a key role in the final. He’s a composed yet hard-tackling defender who has proven himself more than capable of marking players tightly and also making key challenges whenever required. Ali Mukhtar will aim to use his experience well by maintaining a tight backline against Jordan and amplifying his side’s chances of shutting them down.

Centre-Back: Tarek Salman

Salman should return to the starting XI for the final because of Qatar possibly needing an added bit of security at the back against the high-pressing, spirited attacking power of Jordan. The Al Sadd defender has already made over 70 appearances for the Maroons in his career and was involved in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup final, in which Qatar defeated Japan.

He’ll hope to make it two wins in two finals with an emphatic performance, in which he’ll look to use his experience to neutralize Jordan’s counter-attacking threat and make key challenges whenever needed.

Right Wing-Back: Pedro Miguel

Pedro Miguel, also known as Ro-Ro, has become an undroppable in the Qatar side. He has only sat out one single game in the Asian Cup for the Maroons and has played really well in most of his appearances so far. Miguel has become defensively pretty strong, being able to use his pace and tackling skills to good use, and is also capable of making darting runs forward to contribute in the attack with his crosses too.

Also Read: Top five biggest upsets in AFC Asian Cup 2023

Centre-Midfield: Hassan Al-Haydos

Captain Hassan Al-Haydos has been operating in a squad role in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, having been benched for a few games including the semi-final against Iran. However, he should get a start in the final because Qatar really need that extra push in creativity and goal-scoring threat.

Al-Haydos has three goals in the Asian Cup already, being able to finish off chances really nicely and will hope to bring that extra bit of flair to his side’s attack and break down Jordan’s backline in the final.

Centre-Midfield: Jassem Gaber

The 21-year-old has been a breakout figure for the Maroons in the Asian Cup, being extremely consistent with his performances since he became a starter from the second game onwards. Gaber has been impressive his distribution, passing the ball around really nicely and also contributing defensively with his sturdy work. He also scored a brilliant goal in the semi-final to prove his goal-scoring prowess and will aim to do something similar in the final too.

Centre-Midfield: Ahmed Fatehi

Ahmed Fatehi has become a mainstay in the Qatar starting lineup after moving into the knockout stages and been quite the energetic presence in their midfield line. Fatehi has proven himself able to cover a lot of ground for his side, and get absolutely stuck in terms of making key tackles and clearances. He also produced an assist in the semi-finals to prove his creative ability and is likely to keep his place for the final.

Also Read: AFC Asian Cup 2023 Final: Jordan vs Qatar: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

Left Wing-Back: Mohammed Waad

Mohammed Waad has proven his versatility by slotting into the left-back role with ease in the Asian Cup despite normally operating in midfield. He has helped improve the nature of Qatar’s progressive play, moving the ball forward nicely from the left and helping with the transitions too. Waad has been defensively pretty solid, being able to frustrate wingers with his dedicated nature and smart game-reading skills.

Centre-Forward: Akram Afif

Arguably the best-attacking player for Qatar in the Asian Cup, Akram Afifi will aim to maintain his incredible momentum to torment the Jordan side. He’s already contributed to eight goals (five goals, three assists) in six AFC Asian Cup appearances and is pushing for the Golden Boot, which is currently lead by Iraq striker Aymen Hussein.

Afif has been a menace at the Asian Cup with his amazing dribbling ability, and tendency to burst past players and score amazing goals from difficult positions. He’ll aim to replicate his heroics in the final to end the tournament on a high and win another Asian Cup for his side.

Centre-Forward: Almoez Ali

While he hasn’t been able to replicate his heroics of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, where he scored 9 goals for Qatar, Almoez Ali remains a decisive figure in Qatar’s attack. He has contributed to four goals (two goals, two assists) so far but has that big-game experience of standing out when it matters the most.

Ali will hope to be a tormenting figure for Qatar, making clever runs in behind the defenders and linking up smartly with Afif to cause chaos. He’ll try to get into more dangerous positions in the final third to amplify his goal-scoring threat and help win another final for Qatar.

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