Qatar are scoring goals for fun in the AFC Asian Cup. But does our AI score prediction believe the Qataris can win the Asian Cup for a second consecutive tournament?
On Saturday, Asian Cup host Qatar will play surprise package Jordan in the final of the 2024 tournament. Jordan have turned heads at the competition by knocking out AFC heavyweight South Korea in the semifinals 2-0.
It has been a dream tournament for Jordan and a win over Qatar in the final would be the ultimate ending to it. Qatar will aim to play spoiler and collect another win on home soil.
Saturday’s game will be just the seventh all-time meeting between Jordan and Qatar. The Qataris hold an edge in wins and losses, with a record of 4W-1D-1L all time.
The teams met as recently as January 5, 2024, in an international friendly to prepare for the Asian Cup. Jordan came from a goal down in the second half to win the match, 2-1.
Qatar’s Akram Afif scored in the 15th minute, but Jordan bagged two goals in the second half courtesy of Yazan Al-Naimat and Ali Olwan to win the fixture.
Jordan scored twice in a seven-minute span to claim the lead and win.
Since then, Qatar are on a six-game unbeaten run, with five wins and a draw. Their only iffy moment at the Asian Cup was a 1-1 draw against Uzbekistan. The Qataris won the match on penalties 3-2.
Jordan, on the other hand, finished third in Group E behind South Korea and Bahrain. They squeaked through courtesy of being one of the best third-place teams.
Since losing to Bahrain 1-0 in their final group stage game, Jordan have won three straight matches, defeating Iraq 3-2, Tajikistan 1-0, and South Korea 2-0. Their confidence has grown throughout the tournament.
Prior to the 2024 AFC Asian Cup, Jordan had never gone further than the quarterfinals of the competition. Solid defence in the last two games, zero goals conceded, has been the backbone of the team.
Afif is second in goals scoring stats at the Asian Cup, with five. He could overtake Aymen Hussein in the goal scoring charts in the final.
Jordan’s Al-Naimat, Musa Al-Taamari, and Oday Dabbagh are joint-leading scorers for the team with three goals apiece.
Can Jordan upset Qatar? According to our score prediction, don’t expect Jordan to win despite their friendly victory in January. Qatar should roll to a 3-0 win and claim a second consecutive Asian Cup trophy.