Akram Afif inspired Qatar begin life after Hassan Al Haydos with a win

Sudesh Baniya at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium

From “Ooh ya Haydos” to “Ooh ya Akram!

It took a half for us to get there, but the inevitable occurred – Akram Afif chose his moment and rose to it – this time with the number 10 on his back, and the captain’s armband on his sleeve.

Afif’s two strikes in the second half that sandwiched Ahmed Al Rawi’s first international goal were not just his moment of winning over the Annabi hearts again, rather, it felt emblematic of the transition on the night he inherited both the armband and the jersey number from Hassan Al Haydos.

Fans unfurled a tifo hailing recent retiree Hassan Al Haydos in the tenth minute. (Photo/ Renjith Raju)

Not a surprise, however, coming from a player who has been Al Annabi’s most vital ace in the deck for a good four years now, most recently at the Asian Cup, where he swept individual accolades on Qatar’s triumphant campaign.

It was thus fitting that Qatar’s first goal of the post-Haydos era came off Afif’s grit. It reflected the shift in their momentum, and their desire to push through, with an improved second-half display following a rather ordinary start for the home side, playing to Kuwait’s narrow structure between the lines.

The first half did have its moments. Jassem Gaber came close to replicating his goal against Iran in the semifinals of the Asian Cup, trying to volley a loose ball in the eighth minute, just to see his shot deflected on the near post for a corner.

Kuwait got the closest to the goal first, yet, Faisal Alharbi failed to connect and the resultant faint volley was a routine clearance off the line by Lucas Mendes, despite slipping off Meshaal Barsham’s hands.

Without senior names like Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi, and Almahdi Ali, ‘Tintin’ Marquez Lopez turned towards the younger players, with Mahdi Salem starting in Qatar’s first home fixture since the Spaniard signed a long-term deal that will see him in the dugout till 2026.

It was another youngster, Al Rayyan’s 19-year-old forward Ahmed Al Rawi, who induced the most valiant roar at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium. Scoring just six minutes after coming off the bench after halftime, the younger Al Rawi, brother of Bassam, capitalized on a long-range attempt from his right foot, to get to the rebound and finish with his left. 

Afif’s ruthless pressing on the night, in many ways, resembled that of Al Haydos’ gritty off-the-ball presence. The two goals, first a couple of minutes into the second half and the second a minute after the hour mark, involved forcing errors and capitalizing on them – made possible by the sheer work rate. 

Now sitting at the top of the group with perfect results so far, the return leg to Kuwait will confirm what is to come for the Annabi in the future – a team built around the skipper Afif, backed by a new crop of players. It also fits into Marquez Lopez’s bills: replicating a holistic project like his stint at Al Wakrah – yet the challenge here will be to qualify at their merit to the World Cup. 

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