“The 9th of Qatar.” He was the focus of conflict between Macri and Riquelme in Boca and became the hero of their finalist team in Asia

The Asian Cup entered the field of definitions: after Jordan qualified for the final after the victory against South Korea, the other team that will be in the definition was known. Qatar, host of the competition, defeated Iran 3 to 2 in a true great game and with emotions until the end. Now, he will seek the title next Saturday, in front of his audience. Besides will defend the crown obtained in 2019 and, if he became champion, the competition would once again have a two-time champion after 20 years (Japan, 2000 and 2004).

But in the great clash that the Qataris played against the Iranians at the Al Thumama stadium in Doha, the one who scored the defining goal was Almoez Alí, that attacker who was linked to Boca. At the time, Mauricio Macri made an offer to the current president of the club, Juan Román Riquelme, which consisted of having the player to be able to maintain the main sponsor, Qatar Airways.

Almoez Ali celebrating his goal with Abdulaziz Hatem, a teammate of the Qatar national team, who will play the final next Saturday against JordanThanassis Stavrakis – AP

It was a real great game between Iran and Qatar. The Princes of Persia began winning 1 to 0, with a great goal scored after four minutes by Sardar Azmoun, who did a pirouette in the area to place it at the far post. But the locals were able to turn the game around before the first stage was over. Jaseem Gaber, at 17, established the 1-1, and Akram Afif, He turned the game around at 43 for the Qataris.

Already in the second stage, at six, the match judge Ahmad Al-Ali awarded a penalty. And it was Alireza Jahanbakhsh who took charge of the shot to continue giving the match much more drama. However, at 82, Qatar once again took the lead thanks to Almoez Alí who took advantage of the fact that a rival enabled him and scored precisely against a post to make it 3 to 2. Then 17 minutes were added and Iran was able to tie it: a shot very close to the far post and another that hit the post and passed in front of the goal They made the Qatari fans who filled the Al Thumama stadium, the scene where eight matches of the 2022 World Cup were played, suffer.

QATAR TAKES THE LEAD AGAIN WITH 10 MINUTES FROM THE END! Ali Almoez defined alone to sentence the 3-2 against Iran in the semifinal of the #AsianCup2023.
???? Watch the Asia Cup on #StarPlusLA pic.twitter.com/yMOIz3RpFk

— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) February 7, 2024

But it was thanks to Almoez Alí, this 27-year-old attacker, who plays for Al-Duhail SC in that country, that the host team will have the opportunity to play in the Asian Cup final again and will have the chance for its team to win the two-time championship, something that has not happened in this competition for 20 years. years, when Japan won the 2000 and 2004 editions. It is worth noting that the figure of the striker was widely mentioned in Argentina at a very turbulent time in the Boca world, during the run-up to the elections in Xeneize.

During November, Juan Román Riquelme, who was a candidate for President, revealed a message that Mauricio Macri sent him in which he asked him to hire to the nine from Qatar because If it wasn’t going to be complicated to continue having Qatar Airways as a sponsor on the shirt: “We love the club and respect the Qatar number nine. I like football, but I don’t know who he is. After that, we were left without that sponsor,” said Román.

The match summary

Days later, the former president of the Ribera and Argentina club, who this time accompanied Andrés Ibarra in the opposition formula, accepted that there was the idea of ​​adding Almoez Alí to the squad, but with another approach and a comparison with what Riquelme revealed. “What he said was a manipulation of reality Macri stated. Furthermore, he told how the conversation went: I told him: ‘Román, obviously I have no idea if he plays well or not, but as a matter of education he He asks to be given an opportunity in Boca, he takes care of the salary, the ticket, it costs 0 pesos to Boca… Bring him to Boca to the squad, give him a few minutes in training, See if he can play any Argentine Cup match, that would be enough to look good because it’s your sponsor and you’re going to need it when it’s renewed. And you never called anyone from Qatar’”.

After that, the club was without the main sponsor on the shirt for just over a year. “What happened? He terminated the contract, it was not renewed and not because I told him so. For a matter of The guy felt mistreated. He didn’t ask for him to be a starter, a normal thing,” said the former president of the institution. Furthermore, Andrés Ibarra had specified that Boca lost “10 million dollars for not having just a gesture of respect.”

THE NATION

Themes

Asian CupQatar national teamIran national team

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