Jordan and Qatar lock horns at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail on Saturday in the final of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, as history beckons for both sides.

For the first time in their history, Jordan have reached the showpiece clash of the competition. Against all the odds, the Chivalrous Ones beat mighty South Korea 2-0 in the semi-finals to get to this title match.

🔴➤►🌍📺👉CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE FREE

🔴➤►🌍📺👉CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE FREE

Yazan Al-Naimat broke the deadlock for the Middle Eastern side in the 53rd minute before Musa Al-Taamari doubled their advantage 13 minutes later. Korea, led by stellar names such as Heung-min Son and Lee Kang-in, were uncharacteristically wayward in attack, failing to muster a single shot on target from eight attempts.

Jordan were the superior side throughout the match and emerged as the deserved winners. If they win on Saturday, Hussein Ammouta's side will become just the 10th nation in Asia Cup history to win the title.

On the other hand, defending champions Qatar are just one game away from successfully defending their crown. Only Iran (1976), Saudi Arabia (1988) and Japan (2004) have managed to accomplish that feat in the past.

The Maroons overcame the resilient Iran in a topsy-turvy semi-final encounter. Team Melli led after only four minutes, but the hosts fought back to go 2-1 up. Alireza Jahanbakhsh equalized from the penalty spot for Iran but Ali Almoez struck the winner for Qatar with just eight minutes of normal time left on the clock.

Jordan vs Qatar live Prediction

It's the finals, so we do not expect plenty of goalmouth action, but it could be a tense clash nonetheless, with both sides taking every step carefully. Jordan are in uncharted territory, since it's their first major final in history, but they have shown incredible fighting spirit in the knockout stages to get here.

Qatar have bulldozed their way to this stage, winning five of six games at the tournament. The prolific attacking duo of Ali Almoez and Akram Afif will be relied upon to produce the goods here, and they won't disappoint.

The defending champions are expected to retain their title.

Who: Jordan vs Qatar live free 

What: AFC Asian Cup 2023 final

When: Saturday, February 10, 2024, 6pm (15:00 GMT)

Where: Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar

After nearly a month of high-octane football, featuring several surprises and upsets, the AFC Asian Cup is set to conclude with an all-Arab final, as hosts Qatar look to defend their title against giant-killers Jordan.

Qatar entered the tournament as the reigning champions, but they were not counted among the outright favourites to lift the trophy owing to their poor record against higher-ranked sides in the build-up to the event.

But Tintin Marquez Lopez‘s side have exceeded expectations with an all-round performance and by reaching the final for a second straight time. Enjoying the support of a partisan crowd, Qatar have scored in every game on their way to the final.

“I’m very proud to be a part of this squad – a month ago no one expected us to reach the final, no one thought we could deliver these performances,” Qatar skipper Hassan Al-Haydos told reporters on Friday.

“Working together with the coach, technical staff and the Qatar Football Association, we were able to reach this level because of the squad’s unity.

Jordan will respond to the critics’

While Qatar will carry the weight of expectations, Jordan will play with nothing to lose in their maiden AFC Asian Cup final.

The surprise package of the tournament, Jordan finished third in their group and scraped through to the knockouts, where they suddenly elevated their game to eliminate heavyweights Iraq and South Korea.

That was a triumph for their Moroccan coach Hussein Ammouta, who was heavily criticised when they finished 2023 without a win in seven games, which included six losses.

“When a team loses the coach is blamed and when they win they say it’s because of team morale. We prepare with all aspects in mind – physical, mental, tactical and psychological.

“I hope we’ll be ready when the first whistle blows and we’ll respond to the critics, 99 percent of the time I don’t listen to them since I don’t find anything useful.

Jordan’s players to watch

Mousa Al-Tamari

With three goals and an assist, Al-Tamari has been Jordan’s standout performer. The only player in the Jordanian squad who plies his trade in Europe – with Montpellier SC in France – Al-Tamari’s direct play and dribbling speed make him a threat to any defence.

Yazan Al-Arab

Al-Arab been a colossal figure for Jordan in the heart of their defence, forming a solid centre-back partnership with Abdallah Nasib. Powerfully built and standing at 1.86 metres (six feet three inches), Al-Arab is a towering presence in both boxes.

Yazan Al-Naimat

Al-Naimat has a knack for finding space between defenders and more often than not, times his run to perfection. Having scored in the group match against South Korea, the 24-year-old went up another level when he scored in the last 16 and semifinals.

Qatar’s players to watch

Akram Afif

Afif has been in exceptional form, bagging five goals and three assists. His pace, skill and vision have created havoc for the opposition defenders throughout the tournament.

Hasan Al-Haydos

Al-Haydos has played the skipper’s role to perfection with his technical prowess, exceptional vision and strong leadership qualities. The 33-year-old can score too, as stunningly seen in the group stage match against China, with further goals against Palestine and Uzbekistan.

Almoez Ali

Unlike 2019, Ali has not been firing in the goals at this tournament but there is no disputing the vital role he plays in the squad. The forward’s work rate is second to none, as he is equally adept in leading attacks and falling back to defend.

Form guide

Jordan began their group stage by beating Malaysia 4-0 and then held South Korea to a 2-2 draw. They lost 1-0 to Bahrain but managed to qualify for the next round, where they knocked out Iraq 3-2 in a dramatic last-16 clash.

The quarterfinal saw Jordan beat Tajikistan 1-0 and they pulled off their biggest result in the semifinals when they beat three-time champions South Korea 2-0.

Qatar maintained a 100 percent winning record in the group stage, beating Lebanon, Tajikistan and China. They then edged out Palestine 2-1 in the last 16 but had to work hard in the quarterfinals for a 3-2 penalty shootout win against Uzbekistan.

In the semifinals against Iran, Qatar pulled off a mighty 3-2 win.

Jordan: W W W L D

Qatar: W W W W W

Host nation Qatar take on plucky underdogs Jordan in the AFC Asian Cup final on Saturday with the Qataris looking to defend their title to become only the second back-to-back winners of the competition this century. The Jordanians have reached this point against the odds and shocked South Korea 2-0 in the semifinals as Qatar edged Iran 3-2. Hussein Ammouta kept a talented Korean attack quiet to make light of the massive difference between the two in terms of world rankings. Iraq and Tajikistan also fell to this Chivalrous side in the knockouts who will now seek to upset Qatar and claim the title, having won a friendly between the two earlier this year.

Tintin Marquez saw his side fight back to edge the Iranians to become the first hosts since Australia in 2015 to reach their own final. China in 2004 are the only hosts to have lost a final on home soil and the Maroons could complete the first successful title defense since Japan in 2004.

Here are our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:

How to watch and odds

Date: Saturday, Feb. 10 | Time: 10 a.m. ET

Location: Lusail Iconic Stadium -- Lusail, Qatar

Watch: Paramount+ | CBS Sports Golazo Network

Odds: Qatar +240; Draw +220; Jordan +100

Team news

Qatar: Bara' Marei, Nizar Al-Rashdan and Mohammad Abu Hasheesh came in for Salem Al-Ajalin, Rajaei Ayed and Ali Olwan in the semifinals. Ihsan Haddad could earn his 75th cap while Mohammad Abu Zrayq is in line for his 25th. Yazan Al-Naimat and Musa Al-Taamari are both on three goals so far while Yazid Abulaila has three clean sheets this tournament.

Potential Qatar XI: Barsham; Ro-Ro, Mendes, Mukhtar, Waad; Gaber, Fatehi, Al-Haydos, Ahmed; Ali, Afif.

Jordan: Salah Zakaria is a doubt for Saturday's final while Yusuf Abdurisag and Homam Ahmed came in for Hassan Al-Haydos and Tarek Salman in the semis. Jassem Gaber got his first international goal while Almoez Ali netted his second this tournament and Akram Afif racked up his fifth which is just one shy of Aymen Hussein's leading total of six.

Potential Jordan XI: Abulaila; Nasib, Al-Arab, Marei; Haddad, Al-Rashdan, Al-Rawabdeh, Abu Hasheesh; Al-Taamari, Olwan; Al-Naimat.

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Prediction

This one promises to be an entertaining watch and an underdog success cannot be ruled out. However, the hosts should logically run out winners by a narrow margin to defend their title. Pick: Qatar 2, Jordan 1.

On Saturday, the 10th of February, the final match of the 2023 Asian Cup will take place. Competing for the coveted trophy will be the national teams of Jordan and the tournament hosts, Qatar.

Read also: 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Schedule and results

Both teams have traversed a challenging path to reach the final. During the group stage, Jordan secured a victory, two draws, and suffered one defeat. In the knockout stage, the Jordanians narrowly defeated Iraq, Tajikistan, and sensationally triumphed over South Korea 2-0 in the semifinal. Qatar, on the other hand, remained undefeated throughout the tournament. They claimed victory three times in the group stage, and in the knockout stage, the Qataris emerged victorious against Palestine, Uzbekistan, and Iran.

Dailysports has prepared information for you on where to watch the final match of the Asian Cup. Additionally, we have compiled fan reactions and expectations. Opinions among fans regarding this match diverge.

Some supporters harbor high expectations for the Asian Cup final. Furthermore, there are comments asserting that this final surpasses the AFCON and is underrated.

Qatar, the defending champions and the host of the 2023 Asian Cup, maintains a 100% winning record both in the group stage and at the knockout stage. Qatar qualified as the group A leader and eliminated Palestine, Uzbekistan, and Iran to reach the final. Qatar have scored 10 goals so far in the Asian Cup.