The 2019 Asian Cup will come to a head on Friday when first-time finalists Qatar prepare to face off against four-time champions and front-runners Japan.
Japan have been the team to beat this tournament following the early exits of South Korea and Australia, having clinched the top spot of Group F in a straightforward manner with wins over Turkmenistan, Oman and Uzbekistan, before beating Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Iran in the knockout stages.
Qatar emerged as an unlikely powerhouse after knocking out favourites South Korea in the quarter-finals, and will head into the final backed by the momentum of their 4-0 semi-final victory over hosts United Arab Emirates.
| Game | Japan vs Qatar |
| Date | Friday, February 1 |
| Time | 2pm GMT / 9am ET |
| Stream (US) | DAZN (one month free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live with DAZN (one month free trial) .
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Univision NOW | DAZN (one month free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on BT Sport 2 and livestreamed on BT Sport Live.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | N/A |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Japan players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Gonda, Higashiguchi, Schmidt |
| Defenders | Nagatomo, Yoshida, Sakai, Makino, Tomiyasu, Shiotani, Miura, Muroya, Sasaki |
| Midfielders | Haraguchi, Inui, Shibasaki, Endo, Aoyama, Minamino, Ito, Doan |
| Forwards | Osako, Muto, Kitagawa |
With holding midfielder Wataru Endo injured, Al Ain defender Tsukasa Shiotani could be set for a return to the XI following his only start against Uzbekistan in the group stages.
Kawasaki Frontale midfielder Hidemasa Morita is also unavailable to feature.
Potential Japan XI: Gonda; Sakai, Yoshida, Tomayasi, Nagatomo; Haraguchi, Shiotani; Minamino, Doan, Shibasaki; Osako.
| Position | Qatar players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Al Sheeb, Hassan, Al-Bakri |
| Defenders | Ro-Ro, Hassan, Salman, Ismail, Al-Muhaza, Al-Rawi, Al-Ali, Madibo |
| Midfielders | Fatehi, Hatem, Mohammed, Boudiaf, Al-Hajri, Khoukhi, Moustafa, Afif |
| Forwards | Alaaeldin, Al-Haydos, Afif, Ali |
The eligibility of Qatar players Almoez Ali, 22 and Iraqi-born defender Bassam Al Rawi, 21 have been questioned ahead of the final - with Ali having scored his record-equalling eighth goal of the tournament.
Potential Qatar XI: Al Sheeb; Ro-Ro, Khoukhi, Salman, Hassan; Boudiaf, Afif, Madibo, Al-Hajri; Al Haydos, Ali.
Betting & Match Odds
Japan are priced at odds of winning 23/20 according to bet 365, while a draw is available at 2/1. A win for Qatar is priced at 3/1.
Match Preview
Getty
Japan are on course to win a record-extending fifth continental title as they take on Qatar at Zayed Sports City following their 3-0 victory over fellow favourites Iran in the semi-finals.
Head coach Hajime Moriyasu is set to become the first manager to win the tournament as both head coach and player, having been part of the Samurai Blues' title-winning 1992 team.
Thirty-year-old Tsukasa Shiotani was drafted in for the injured Morita and scored the winner during the 2-1 group stage victory over Uzbekistan, and could be in line to be included in the XI for the final.
“If the manager picks me, I’ll be ready to do my best,” Shiotani said in the lead-up to the game. “It’s not every day you get to play in an Asian Cup final. I want to enjoy it.”
Debut finalists Qatar have reached their first continental final in their nation's history, with a win over neighbours UAE following an impressive 1-0 quarter-final victory over tournament favourites South Korea.
Hasan Al Haydos and Hamid Ismaeil scored late on for Qatar during the politically-charged semi, and have won all six of their matches and are yet to concede a single goal – becoming the first nation to ever do so at the Asian Cup.
Qatari players were pelted with plastic bottles and shoes by furious local fans during their 4-0 semi-final thrashing of UAE.
The protests stemmed from a history of political and economic boycotts of Qatar, which the UAE had launched alongside Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt in 2017 – with the four countries accusing Qatar of supporting terrorism, which it denies.
The tensions has also meant that almost no Qatari fans or media have been present in the UAE to report on their run to a first continental final.
"We have already realised a dream that the whole country had," said striker Almoez Ali, who equalled Ali Daei's record of eight goals in a single Asian Cup against the hosts on Tuesday.
"We will need patience in the final but if we are patient, we have a chance of being champions."
