JAKARTA – Younis Mahmoud headed home his fourth goal of the tournament as Iraq secured a memorable 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Sunday to win the AFC Asian Cup.
The Iraqi skipper capitalised on a poor piece of goalkeeping by Yaser Al Mosailem to turn in Hawar Mohammed’s corner 19 minutes from time, giving the Middle Eastern side their first ever AFC Asian Cup crown.
The Saudis had scored 12 goals on their run to the final but rarely threatened the well-marshalled Iraqi defence which maintained its fourth consecutive clean sheet of the tournament.
Jorvan Vieira and Helio dos Anjos kept faith with the players that had got them to the final with both Brazilian coaches making no changes from their starting line-ups from the semi-finals.
The first half was a robust affair with Australian referee Mark Shield showing a total of five yellow cards.
Qusay Munir fired the first shot in anger for Iraq, volleying wide from the edge of the box after six minutes, while Mahmoud’s acrobatic overhead kick from eight metres out flew wide two minutes later.
Munir was the first player into the referee’s notebook for a sliding two-footed challenge on Abdulrahman Al Qahtani after nine minutes while Saudi midfielder Saud Khariri was also booked six minutes later for a body check on Mahdi Karim.
Karrar Jassim was also shown a yellow card midway through the half after tugging back Khariri but the Iraqi midfielder showed his class in the 28th minute when he weaved his way between Ahmed Al Bahari and Khaled Aziz on the left byline before firing in a stinging shot that was turned aside by goalkeeper Yaser Al Mosailem at his near post
The match threatened to boil over on 37 minutes when Mahmoud went down in the Saudi box clutching his face after an altercation with Waleed Jahdali. Referee Shield managed to take the sting out of the situation and booked both players.
The Saudis had few chances in the opening half but proved dangerous on the counterattack with their best opportunity coming a minutes before the break when Yasser Al Qahtani surged into the Saudi box and stepped past Jassim Ghloam before a sliding challenge by Bassim Abbas deflected the Saudi skipper’s shot over the crossbar.
The second half began quietly but sparked back into life on 57 minutes when Nashat Akram played an excellent pass into Mahmoud, only for the Iraqi captain to be denied by Waleed Jahdali’s sliding challenge.
Taiseer Al Jassam went close for the Saudis on the hour with a shot on the turn that forced an excellent flying save from Noor Sabri but it was the Iraqis who were looking the more dangerous team.
A quick counter-attack in the 62nd minute saw Mahdi Karim release Mahmoud on the right side of the box but Al Mosailem stopped the initial shot and also turned aside Akram’s follow attempt.
Karrar Jassim just failed to make contact with a Mahdi Karim flick-on following a Hawar Mohammed corner while a bullet header by Mahmoud flew within inches of the target on 66 minutes.
However Iraq’s pressure would finally be rewarded in the 71st minute when Hawar Mohammed’s corner from the right was badly misjudged by Al Mosailem, who allowed the ball to sail over his outstretched glove and right onto the head of a lurking Mahmoud, who headed home at the far post.
Mahmoud could have sealed it on 77 minutes when he was sent clear by man of the match Akram’s great through ball but Al Mosailed was off his line quickly to deny the Iraq captain with his feet.
But with the Saudis unable to muster a shot on goal in the closing minutes, the Iraqis were able to hold on to complete a historic triumph.
Video highlights of the game in the link below
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AFC Champions 2007- Iraq
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