MANILA, Philippines — Qatar, a country that regularly hosts the Philippine Azkals’ overseas training camps, is the new king of Asian football. The Qataris, sparked by the record-breaking performance of Almoez Ali, made history as they clinched their first-ever AFC Asian Cup crown with a stunning 3-1 beating of Japan Friday night at Zayed Sports Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The rise of the Qataris, who had never been past the quarterfinal stage prior to this, marked the fourth straight Asian Cup where the crown changed hands. Iraq won the 2007 edition followed by Japan in 2011 and Australia in 2015. Qatar’s football association had graciously welcomed the Azkals for training camps and friendlies over the last seven years.

Source: Philippine Star February 02, 2019 19:09 UTC