?Remembering Qatar's victorious 2014 AFC U-19 Championship
Doha: As the Qatar U-19 team prepare for the upcoming 2018 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers, some of their predecessors’ minds will cast back to a memorable triumph in the same competition in 2014.
Three years ago this week, on October 23 2014, Qatar defeated DPR Korea 1-0 in the final in Myanmar to lift the title for the first time in their history. To mark the occasion, the-AFC.com looks back at Al Annabi's march to victory and the stars who led the way.
Spirited start
Qatar's campaign started in Group D, where they were placed alongside DPR Korea, Iraq and Oman.
Felix Sanchez's men were stunned early on in their first game against DPR Korea when Jo Kwang-myong tapped in the opener with just four minutes on the clock.
The East Asians kept their lead intact well into the second half and it took a determined late blitz from the Qataris in the final 15 minutes to overturn the result as goals from Ahmed Al Saadi, Almoez Ali and Akram Afif saw the West Asians emerge 3-1 winners.
Qatar then drew 1-1 with Iraq as Al Saadi's curling free-kick cancelled out a penalty from Iraq captain Bashar Resan.
And qualification to the quarter-finals was sealed with a 2-0 win over Oman as Al Saadi stepped up with his third and fourth goals of the tournament to top the Group D standings.
A ticket to the FIFA World Cup
The quarter-finals pitted Qatar against China and what ensued in Nay Pyi Taw was a pulsating encounter as another goal from Al Saadi gave the Gulf nation an early lead.
Afif then made it 2-0 with a penalty in first-half injury time before Gui Hong pulled one back for China after half-time, only for Qatar to restore their advantage through captain Ahmed Moein's long-range strike.
Wei Jingzong's 86th-minute penalty seemed to offer China some hope but Ali netted late on to give Qatar a 4-2 win as the result sent Al Annabi into a semi-final clash with the hosts and also secured a spot at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Afif the hero
By this point, Akram Afif had two goals to his name, but he would go on to add two more and both of them were worth their weight in gold.
His first intervention came in the semi-final against Myanmar, in front of more than 29,000 home fans.
After Ali's far-post header had given Qatar a 1-0 lead at half-time, the hosts stormed back into the game with goals from Aung Thu and Nyein Chan Aung to grab the advantage.
Afif, who had come on as a substitute, equalised for Qatar with a well-struck low free-kick in the 75th minute to set up a dramatic finale, before Serigne Abdou headed in the winner deep into injury time to send his side into the final.
The main event
A second clash of the tournament against DPR Korea saw the half-time score in the final at a tense 0-0 with the Koreans having hit the post, but an even more memorable Afif goal would send the Qataris into raptures.
Six minutes into the second half, Qatar coach Sanchez sent on Afif to try and change the outcome.
It turned out to be a moment of inspiration as the young Qatari leapt highest and headed in the breakthrough goal with his first touch of the match.
The Qatari colts held on to win their first title at this level, bettering their runners-up finish in 1980. But, despite Afif's decisive heroics, his teammates Al Saadi and Moein took away the top scorer and MVP awards respectively.
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com
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