Almoez Ali scored a spectacular overhead kick for a record ninth goal of the tournament to set Qatar on their way to a first Asian Cup triumph with a stunning 3-1 win over four-times champions Japan on Friday.
The Al Duhail forward was in rampant form for the Qataris as he became only the fourth player in Asian Cup history to score four in a single game.
Valencia double gives Ecuador 2-0 halftime lead against hosts Qatar
The biggest fan party has started in Qatar, take a look:
Though many outsiders expect Qatar to be soundly drubbed in all three games, home fans know forwards Akram Afif and Almoez Ali have both talent and experience and pray they can penetrate an Ecuador team themselves struggling to score of late.
Saudi Arabia's Al Shabab booked their place in the knockout rounds of the Asian Champions League with a 6-0 thrashing of Mumbai City in Riyadh on Friday while Al Duhail from Qatar also claimed a spot in the last 16 of the continental championship.
Qataris have been barred from attending matches as the UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt, cut political and trade ties with Qatar in June 2017 over allegations Doha supports terrorism -- a charge Qatar denies.
IMAGES from the Group A match played between the Netherlands and Qatar on Tuesday.
Hajime Moriyasu's side, one of the favourites for the title, laboured throughout the opening 45 minutes and fell behind to a vicious long-range strike from Arslanmyrat Amanov that flew past goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda.
Boualem Khoukhi's early strike and an eighth goal of the tournament from striker Almoez Ali gave Qatar a 2-0 halftime lead with Hassan Al-Haydos and Hamid Ismail completing the rout in the last 10 minutes.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
The FIFA 2022 World Cup will kick-off in Qatar on Sunday, November 20. Here is a list of the 26-man squads playing in the quadrennial global football extravaganza.
IMAGES from soccer matches played on Monday.
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