An entertaining AFC Asian Cup final brought the curtain down on an outstanding continental tournament but there was to be no fairytale ending for Jordan, who was beaten 3-1 by hosts Qatar at the Lusail Stadium.

Akram Afif’s first-half penalty gave Qatar the lead but Jordan fought its way back into the match after half-time thanks to Yazan al-Naimat’s superbly taken equaliser. However, the hosts were awarded two further penalties, both dispatched by Afif, as Qatar secured its second successive Asian Cup crown.

Here Al Arabiya English brings you three key takeaways from Qatar’s Asian Cup final triumph over Jordan.

1) Afif destined for bigger things

Being the Asian Cup’s outstanding player is nothing new for Akram Afif. At the 2019 tournament, he was pipped to the official AFC MVP gong by freescoring team-mate Almoez Ali, but it was Afif who played the role of creator-in-chief in the United Arab Emirates. Afif claimed a remarkable 10 assists and added a penalty himself in the final against Japan.

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This time, however, there could be no doubt that Afif is Qatar’s leading light. A hat-trick of successfully converted spot-kicks against Jordan saw Afif become the first player to bag a treble in the final and also secure his place as the tournament’s Top Scorer with eight goals, overtaking Iraq’s Aymen Hussein. The al-Sadd star even punctuated his impressive display with an iconic celebration; Afif’s ‘magic trick’ - he pulled out a card with his face on before transforming it into an ‘S’ as a dedication to his wife - became an instant viral sensation.

Afif’s next trick should be conjuring a move to Europe. The forward, who became the first player to register 10 goal contributions across two Asian Cups, has experienced football life outside of Qatar before. As a teenager he spent some time at Spanish club Sevilla and in his twenties, signed for fellow La Liga club Villarreal - though he was eventually sent on loan to Sporting Gijon. Afif also turned out for Belgian club Eupen before returning to his homeland in 2018.

While two successive Asian Cup triumphs would suggest that having every member of the squad playing their football in Qatar is an effective strategy for the national team, Afif’s talent transcends such considerations. He deserves a bigger spotlight than a quadrennial continental gathering. Celebrated UAE playmaker Omar Abdulrahman was faced with a similar decision after a starring role at the 2015 Asian Cup and he chose poorly - staying in al-Ain consigned him to a small corner of the football world.

There is hope that Afif’s abilities may yet be shared with a wider audience; after the final the Asian Cup’s Most Valuable Player said that he would “love to become a professional player [in Europe] ... I'd say I would love to go.” Afif did caveat the comment by suggesting “it’s not easy to leave the club and country” but it is certain that after his Asian Cup performances there will be offers on the table from bigger clubs than al-Sadd. It will be up to Afif whether his star burns brighter still or wanes.

2) Qatar now a legacy team

Winning back-to-back continental titles is an achievement worthy of acclaim. In South America, only Brazil and Chile have managed the feat while Spain is the sole nation to have won successive European Championship. Qatar has now joined an elite group of Asian nations too after becoming the first side since Japan in 2004 to win two tournaments in a row.

Coach Tintin Marquez Lopez managed to emulate the triumph of fellow Spaniard Felix Sanchez and that he did so having been parachuted into the job a month before the tournament is deserving of significant praise. While 11 of the 2019 Asian Cup-winning squad returned this time, just four players from the final five years ago started at Lusail Stadium on Saturday.

Talisman Afif, hotshot striker Almoez Ali, defender Tarek Salman and enduring captain Hassan al-Haydos were those in the opening XI and all barring the skipper will likely be back to chase a record third crown in Saudi Arabia in 2027. Al-Haydos wrote his name into the Qatari history books long ago but the 33-year-old, the fourth-most capped international player of all time, cemented his legend by lifting the Asian Cup trophy in front of his own fans.

Whether coach Marquez will still be in the hotseat in three years to defend the title remains to be seen, but the squad is full of players at their peak and Qatar appears certain to remain competitive by the time the 2027 Asian Cup rolls around. Most importantly for its fans, perhaps, Qatar’s triumph was the perfect antidote to the disappointment of a pointless group stage exit at its home FIFA World Cup in 2022.

The Asian Cup victory was one built on fluid football and necessary grit; while the group stage was straightforward, come-from-behind wins were required against Palestine in the last-16 and Iran in the semi-final, sandwiching a dramatic penalty shootout win over Uzbekistan. And after being pegged back by Jordan in the final, Marquez’s side once again delved into its reserves of resilience, to get over the finish line.

3) Honor in defeat for Jordan

When Yazan al-Naimat struck the ball sweetly past Qatar goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham to level the scores at 1-1, it set off wild celebrations in Amman and throughout the Hashemite Kingdom. Jordan had not made it to a historic first Asian Cup final just to roll over for its hosts. The goal had been coming, with Barsham keeping Qatar ahead with a series of superb saves in a frantic period after half-time.

Jordan had come out after the interval with obvious attacking intent and al-Naimat’s goal was a fitting reward for a period of the sort of expansive football that has characterised the record-breaking progress of Hussein Ammouta’s side at the 2019 Asian Cup. That al-Naimat, who plays his club football in Qatar with al-Ahli, scored on the biggest stage of his career so far, demonstrates that he - along with many of his team-mates - are capable of spreading their wings. Jordan’s players will be in-demand and this team’s performance in Qatar may well permanently, positively transform the country’s football fortunes.

Coach Ammouta, a former title-winning player and manager with al-Sadd, was not able to taste success in Qatar again, but he has masterminded a remarkable tournament for Jordan that will live long in the memory. With his native Morocco falling surprisingly short in its quest for Africa Cup of Nations glory last month, Ammouta will surely be in the frame and it could be tough for Jordan to hang on to him.

The acid test for Jordan’s progress will come in future FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In March, it faces Pakistan home and away in must-win matches after November’s draw with Tajikistan and loss to Saudi Arabia. However, for now Jordan should be content with celebrating its historic achievement in advancing further than ever before; the despair and tears that greeted the final whistle will soon be replaced by pride at the country’s historic showing in Qatar.

Read more: Asian Cup final: Meet Jordan’s hero players aiming to make history