Doha’s Football Frenzy Continues at AFC League Final

The AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Asian Champions League (ACL) finally concluded, eleven months after the tournament began, on December 19th 2020 with a nail-biting match between Iran’s Persepolis and South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai. The two teams battled it out in Qatar’s capital city, Doha at one of the FIFA 2022 World Cup stadiums, Al Janoub. The South Korean team came away victorious, but on the whole, the tournament was a win-win situation for everyone involved!

The Match

Persepolis, winners of the ACL west region tournament, and Ulsan, winners of the east region tournament, went head to head not only for the League title but also for a place in the 2021 competition, and to represent Asia at the next FIFA Club World Cup. 

Relatively evenly matched, fans watched with bated breath to see which team would boot their way to victory. The Iranian’s stepped out on the field three-time champions of their own domestic league, runners up in the 2018 AFC Champions League, and winners of six out of nine games played from the Group Stage up to the 2020 league final. The Korean’s meanwhile kicked off as 2012 AFC Champions League title holders, and following an unbeaten run throughout the whole tournament in which they scored 21 goals.

With the starting whistle, the Persepolis squad set off strongly, driving forwards and creating opportunities. The Korean team held their own and scuppered most of the Iranian’s attacking play. However, in the 45th minute, Mehdi Abdi Qara provided the opening goal for Persepolis, much to the delight of the 8,000 strong crowds in the stands. An ill-timed foul against Ulsan, allowed the South Korean’s to equalise just before half time with a penalty from Júnior Negrão. Negrão’s first shot was saved, but when the ball rebounded, the composed striker then walloped the ball home. 

Following half time, the Ulsan squad came out to score again in the 54th minute. A handball in the penalty area gave Negrão another chance, which he took to maximum effect. Though the Iranian’s fought back, Ulsan’s defence prevented the squad from levelling the playing field. Ulsan ended the game 2-1 winners and Asian League champions.

The tournament win marked a significant victory for Ulsan Hyundai who placed second in both 2020’s South Korean K League 1 and the Korea FA Cup. The triumph over Persepolis means the team ends the year on a high after a frustrating year.

The Winners

Ulsan may have won the AFC tournament, but considering the 2020's turbulent year for football, the fact that the competition reached a successful conclusion at all is a victory for all involved.

After a six month hiatus due to COVID-19, the Group Stage of the tournament for the west region was kicked-off again (having briefly started in March) in Qatar. Resuming continental football amid the pandemic was a big ask, for players, officials, staff and the host nation. However, with concessions on all parts and the effective management of the tournament in terms of health and safety, the west region competition was played out without major incident. So competently managed was the west region event, that Qatar also took on the east region tournament and the final. 

With nearly all teams, except Al Wahda (Abu Dhabi), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and Johor Darul Ta'zim (Malaysia), managing to travel to Doha and put forward a team for the event, the competition was a football success - competitively, financially and in terms of moral. For Qatar, it was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the country's infrastructure, facilities and operational readiness for 2022, and its ability to manage in a major crisis. Even fans were part of the win-win scenario - Qatar joined some of the first countries in the world to begin inviting spectators back into the stands to watch matches. With over 8,500 attendees at the AFC Champions League final the game was undoubtedly more electric than it would have been with silent stands. The most significant victory by far was the people's versus coronavirus, and on this occasion, the people won!

The 2027 AFC Asian Cup

With the 2020 AFC Champions League hosting successes, it is no surprise that the Arab nation is also bidding for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. 

The AFC Asian Cup is the world's second-oldest continental football tournament, after South America's Copa America. Inaugurated in 1956, the competition is held every four years with the next edition being played in China in 2023.

If Qatar wins the 2027 hosting rights, it won't be for the first time. The nation previously hosted the tournament twice, once in 1988 and again in 2011. They are also the current Asian Champions having won the 2019 competition.

Qatar, alongside Saudi Arabia, India, Iran and Uzbekistan, recently handed its bid book over to AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa. And, on Qatar National Day, at the inauguration of the latest 2022 World Cup stadium to be completed, which also played host to the Amir Cup Final that day, the Qatari bid logo was revealed. 

All the bidding countries will have to wait until 2021 to find out who will be the host nation.

As Qatar sets its sights on becoming a leading global sports hub, the nation's leaders are keen to add to its sporting and football event management portfolio. Beyond 2020, Qatar will be hosting, not only the biggest sporting event in the world, the FIFA World Cup but they will also be accommodating the next FIFA Club World Cup, the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup and the 2030 Asian Games. That leaves just the right amount of space for the hosting 2027 Asian Cup tournament!