Qatar&nbsp;coach Felix Sanchez shrugged off comparisons to Pep Guardiola on Friday after masterminding a breathtaking <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-host-qatar-stun-japan-in-asian-cup-final-194478">Asian Cup victory</a> just three years before the 2022 World Cup on home turf.

Almoez Ali scored a tournament-record nine goals and the Maroons conceded only once as they swept to the first continental title in their history, beating Japan 3-1 in the final.

Ali said he saw shades of Manchester City's Guardiola in Sanchez, who coached Barcelona's youth players before joining&nbsp;Qatar's national academy in 2006 and working his way through the ranks.

"I've been working with him for nine years, he's highly intelligent," said the 21-year-old striker. "I compare him to Guardiola because he has the same ideas."

But Sanchez told AFP that Ali only made the comment "because I'm there (listening) and he wants to keep playing".

"I've worked with Almoez for a very long time and we have good relationship," the Spaniard said.

"He's very easy to coach because he's a hard worker and he deserves everything that has happened to him in this tournament."

Qatar&nbsp;upset former champions Saudi Arabia, Iraq and South Korea on their march to the final, but those weren't the only challenges they faced.

The Qataris were pelted with shoes and plastic bottles by a hostile home crowd as they beat the United Arab Emirates 4-0 in the semi-finals.

The UAE then lodged a protest over the eligibility of Ali and defender Bassam Al-Rawi which was dismissed just hours before the final.

Sanchez insisted he had "no concerns" about the eligibility row and also dismissed speculation that notoriously trigger-happy&nbsp;Qatar&nbsp;might replace him with a big-name coach before the World Cup.

"I'm very proud to be the&nbsp;Qatar&nbsp;national team coach. Today we made history. I'm only thinking about today. It's a great day for me and the players and the country," Sanchez said.

"There's always news about this person and that person but we're focused on our work and we have the full support of the QFA.

"So no concerns about the World Cup, it's in 2022 and you don't even know what's going to happen in two weeks."

Qatar coach Felix Sanchez shrugged off comparisons to Pep Guardiola on Friday after masterminding a breathtaking Asian Cup victory just three years before the 2022 World Cup on home turf.

Qatar coach Felix Sanchez shrugged off comparisons to Pep Guardiola on Friday after masterminding a breathtaking Asian Cup victory just three years before the 2022 World Cup on home turf. Almoez Ali scored a tournament-record nine goals and the Maroons conceded only once as they swept to the first continental title in their history, beating Japan 3-1 in the final. Ali said he saw shades of Manchester City's Guardiola in Sanchez, who coached Barcelona's youth players before joining Qatar's national academy in 2006 and working his way through the ranks. "I've been working with him for nine years, he's highly intelligent," said the 21-year-old striker. "I compare him to Guardiola because he has the same ideas." But Sanchez told AFP that Ali only made the comment "because I'm there (listening) and he wants to keep playing". "I've worked with Almoez for a very long time and we have good relationship," the Spaniard said. "He's very easy to coach because he's a hard worker and he deserves everything that has happened to him in this tournament." Qatar upset former champions Saudi Arabia, Iraq and South Korea on their march to the final, but those weren't the only challenges they faced. The Qataris were pelted with shoes and plastic bottles by a hostile home crowd as they beat the United Arab Emirates 4-0 in the semi-finals. The UAE then lodged a protest over the eligibility of Ali and defender Bassam Al-Rawi which was dismissed just hours before the final. Sanchez insisted he had "no concerns" about the eligibility row and also dismissed speculation that notoriously trigger-happy Qatar might replace him with a big-name coach before the World Cup. "I'm very proud to be the Qatar national team coach. Today we made history. I'm only thinking about today. It's a great day for me and the players and the country," Sanchez said. "There's always news about this person and that person but we're focused on our work and we have the full support of the QFA. "So no concerns about the World Cup, it's in 2022 and you don't even know what's going to happen in two weeks."

He's our Guardiola: Qatar coach Felix Sanchez hailed after stunning Asian win

Record-breaker Almoez Ali stars in Qatar's historic win in Asian Cup final

Stephen Constantine has stepped down as the head coach of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-drop-out-of-asian-cup-after-90th-minute-loss-to-bahrain-190318">Indian national football team after they crashed out of the ongoing AFC Asian Cup </a>on Monday.

India needed a draw against Bahrain in their final group match to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time ever in their history. However, they were thwarted in cruel fashion as an 89th-minute penalty from Jamal Rashed handed Bahrain all three points.

Immediately after the defeat, the Englishman revealed that he had decided to step down from his position.

"I have been here for four years. My objective from day one was to qualify for the Asian Cup and we have done that," expressed the coach.

"I am exceptionally proud of the players for everything that they have given. I thank the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Kushal Das, Praful Patel and Abhishek Yadav for the support that they have given me."&nbsp;

"I think my cycle is finished. I did what I was asked. It is time for me to move on," he concluded.

India had started the Asian Cup campaign in fantastic fashion, after a 4-1 thumping of Thailand. But defeats to UAE and Bahrain saw them finish last in their group.

Stephen Constantine has stepped down as the head coach of the Indian national football team after they crashed out of the ongoing AFC Asian Cup on Monday. India needed a draw against Bahrain in their final group match to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time ever in their history.

Stephen Constantine has stepped down as the head coach of the Indian national football team after they crashed out of the ongoing AFC Asian Cup on Monday. India needed a draw against Bahrain in their final group match to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time ever in their history. However, they were thwarted in cruel fashion as an 89th-minute penalty from Jamal Rashed handed Bahrain all three points. Immediately after the defeat, the Englishman revealed that he had decided to step down from his position. "I have been here for four years. My objective from day one was to qualify for the Asian Cup and we have done that," expressed the coach. "I am exceptionally proud of the players for everything that they have given. I thank the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Kushal Das, Praful Patel and Abhishek Yadav for the support that they have given me." "I think my cycle is finished. I did what I was asked. It is time for me to move on," he concluded. India had started the Asian Cup campaign in fantastic fashion, after a 4-1 thumping of Thailand. But defeats to UAE and Bahrain saw them finish last in their group.

After defeat against Bahrain, Stephen Constantine resigns as Indian football team coach

Australia's Asian Cup title defence suffered a huge blow on Sunday when they were stunned 1-0 by&nbsp;Jordan&nbsp;in their worst ever start to the competition.

Graham Arnold's youthful side had confidently predicted victory in their Group B opener but they were undone by Anas Bani-Yaseen's powerful first-half header.

Australia, who had 76 percent of possession but only six shots on target, were thwarted by a brilliant double save from&nbsp;Jordan's Amir Shafi in the game's dying moments.

It left the injury-hit Aussies with much to ponder ahead of Friday's game against Palestine, when they will need a win to get their campaign up and running.

Arnold, who led Australia to the 2007 quarter-finals in his first stint as Socceroos boss, called the goal "sloppy" and rued a slow start at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.

"It was one of those days, a frustrating day when the ball just didn't seem to bounce," he said, adding: "If you're going to lose a game, it's better to lose your first game.&nbsp;

"It's a wake-up call... it's all about where we can improve. We'll get over it very quickly."

Jordan&nbsp;coach Vital Borkelmans, who said he targeted Australia's midfielders Massimo Luongo and Mark Milligan, and exploited the space left by their advancing backs, hailed his hard-running team.

"I told them today, 'God gave you something', and today they were playing for the people of&nbsp;Jordan," said Borkelmans.&nbsp;

"They were running like they had three lungs," he added.

Finger-tip save

Australia bossed the opening exchanges but their Brighton 'keeper Mat Ryan made the first save&nbsp;when he kept out Yousef Rawashdeh at his near post after Luongo was dispossessed.

Shortly afterwards, Australia's former South Sudanese refugee Awer Mabil, in his first competitive international, saw a close-range shot blocked by Shafi.

The youthful Socceroos had plenty of possession in the opposition half but rarely threatened, while&nbsp;Jordan&nbsp;were intent on breaking Australia's flow and seeking chances on the break.

Their goal came from a corner on 26 minutes, when defender Bani-Yaseen escaped Luongo's marking and put a thumping header into the top corner, prompting jubilation in the strongly pro-Jordan&nbsp;crowd of just under 5,000.

Suddenly Australia were rocking and three minutes later, they were grateful for Ryan's finger-tip save as he pushed Baha Abdelrahman's free kick onto the bar.

In the second half, Arnold brought on Rhyan Grant and then Chris Ikonomidis to find a way through&nbsp;Jordan's defence.

Celtic forward Tom Rogic's stinging shot was kept out by Shafi, before Ikonomidis's attempt at a follow-up was smothered by the defence.

Rogic passed up an opportunity for the equaliser on 72 minutes, when he was free in the box but scooped his shot well over from Aziz Behich's cross.

Six minutes later, the lively Mabil smashed one off the upright with Shafi beaten, before Ikonomidis's header was scrambled off the line.

Jamie Maclaren had a goal chalked off for offside and with the last action of the game, Shafi denied both Ikonomidis and Jackson Irvine, capping Australia's misery and triggering joyful celebrations among the Jordanians.

Australia's Asian Cup title defence suffered a huge blow on Sunday when they were stunned 1-0 by Jordan in their worst ever start to the competition. Graham Arnold's youthful side had confidently predicted victory in their Group B opener but they were undone by Anas Bani-Yaseen's powerful first-half header.

Australia's Asian Cup title defence suffered a huge blow on Sunday when they were stunned 1-0 by Jordan in their worst ever start to the competition. Graham Arnold's youthful side had confidently predicted victory in their Group B opener but they were undone by Anas Bani-Yaseen's powerful first-half header. Australia, who had 76 percent of possession but only six shots on target, were thwarted by a brilliant double save from Jordan's Amir Shafi in the game's dying moments. It left the injury-hit Aussies with much to ponder ahead of Friday's game against Palestine, when they will need a win to get their campaign up and running. Arnold, who led Australia to the 2007 quarter-finals in his first stint as Socceroos boss, called the goal "sloppy" and rued a slow start at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium. "It was one of those days, a frustrating day when the ball just didn't seem to bounce," he said, adding: "If you're going to lose a game, it's better to lose your first game. "It's a wake-up call... it's all about where we can improve. We'll get over it very quickly." Jordan coach Vital Borkelmans, who said he targeted Australia's midfielders Massimo Luongo and Mark Milligan, and exploited the space left by their advancing backs, hailed his hard-running team. "I told them today, 'God gave you something', and today they were playing for the people of Jordan," said Borkelmans. "They were running like they had three lungs," he added. Finger-tip save Australia bossed the opening exchanges but their Brighton 'keeper Mat Ryan made the first save when he kept out Yousef Rawashdeh at his near post after Luongo was dispossessed. Shortly afterwards, Australia's former South Sudanese refugee Awer Mabil, in his first competitive international, saw a close-range shot blocked by Shafi. The youthful Socceroos had plenty of possession in the opposition half but rarely threatened, while Jordan were intent on breaking Australia's flow and seeking chances on the break. Their goal came from a corner on 26 minutes, when defender Bani-Yaseen escaped Luongo's marking and put a thumping header into the top corner, prompting jubilation in the strongly pro-Jordan crowd of just under 5,000. Suddenly Australia were rocking and three minutes later, they were grateful for Ryan's finger-tip save as he pushed Baha Abdelrahman's free kick onto the bar. In the second half, Arnold brought on Rhyan Grant and then Chris Ikonomidis to find a way through Jordan's defence. Celtic forward Tom Rogic's stinging shot was kept out by Shafi, before Ikonomidis's attempt at a follow-up was smothered by the defence. Rogic passed up an opportunity for the equaliser on 72 minutes, when he was free in the box but scooped his shot well over from Aziz Behich's cross. Six minutes later, the lively Mabil smashed one off the upright with Shafi beaten, before Ikonomidis's header was scrambled off the line. Jamie Maclaren had a goal chalked off for offside and with the last action of the game, Shafi denied both Ikonomidis and Jackson Irvine, capping Australia's misery and triggering joyful celebrations among the Jordanians.

Asian Cup 2019: Holders Australia fall to shock Jordan loss

The 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the 17th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, will be held in the United Arab Emirates from January 5 to February 1, 2019. The 16-team format, which was used from 2004 to 2015, has been expanded and now, for the first time, the Asian Cup tournament will be contested by 24 teams.

AFC Asian Cup 2019: Schedule, Time and Venue

The 17th Asian Cup tournament, to be held in the United Arab Emirates from January 5 to February 1.

Here is all you need to know about the tournament:

-The Asian Cup is the pre-eminent football tournament in the vast continent, although it had inauspicious beginnings in 1956 when four teams played a round-robin tournament in Hong Kong, two years after the Asian Football Confederation was formed.

-Hong Kong's Chang Chi Kong scored the competition's first goal in front of 30,000 spectators against Israel, who won the game 3-2. South Korea went on to win the title ahead of Israel with the hosts third and South Vietnam fourth.

-It is the second oldest continental football tournament in the world behind South America's Copa America, which began in 1916.

-The tournament has been dominated by the traditional powerhouses of Asian football with Japan having won the most titles - their fourth coming in a 1-0 victory over Australia in 2011.

-Israel won the title in 1964 and finished third in 1968 but did not take part in Asian competition after 1974 due to political issues with Arab nations. It moved to UEFA in 1994.

-South Korea won the first two tournaments and were losing finalists in 2015.

-Iran won three successive titles from 1968-1976 - their only victories in the competition - and are still the only side to win three successive tournaments. They finished third in 1980.

-Saudi Arabia won successive titles in 1984 and 1988 but were beaten 1-0 by hosts Japan in the 1992 final. The Saudis then won the 1996 title on penalties against hosts UAE.

-Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning coach Carlos Alberto Perreira has won the tournament twice, with Kuwait in 1980 and Saudi Arabia in 1988, and is the only coach to win two titles. UAE coach Alberto Zaccheroni could match him in 2019 having led Japan to their 2011 triumph.

-Iran centre forward Ali Daei holds the record for most goals in the tournament, scoring eight times in 1996, four of which were in the 6-2 demolition of South Korea in the quarter-finals. Daei also holds the career record of 14 goals.

-The tournament was held on a four-yearly basis until 2004, when the AFC decided to change the timing to avoid clashing with the Summer Olympics and the European Championships.

-The next tournament was jointly hosted by Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia in 2007 - the only time hosting rights were granted to more than one country. It was later called a 'mistake' by then AFC president Mohammed Bin Hammam.

-Australia became part of the Asian Confederation after the 2006 World Cup and won the title on home soil in 2015.

-The tournament was expanded from 16 to 24 teams for the 2019 edition. Kyrgyzstan, Philippines and Yemen will make their Asian Cup debuts in the UAE.

-The United Arab Emirates will be hosting the tournament for the second time after edging out Iran in the bidding. They were runners-up on home soil in 1996.

-Eight stadiums will host matches: Zayed Sports City Stadium, Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium and Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium and Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium and Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain as well as Sharjah Stadium.

-The Zayed Sports City Stadium, which was built in 1980 and has a capacity of 45,000, will host eight matches, including the opener on Jan. 5 between the hosts and Bahrain and the final on Feb. 1.

-The winners of the tournament will represent Asia in the 2021 Confederations Cup.

The 17th Asian Cup tournament, to be held in the United Arab Emirates from January 5 to February 1. Here is all you need to know about the tournament: -The Asian Cup is the pre-eminent football tournament in the vast continent, although it had inauspicious beginnings in 1956 when four teams played a round-robin tournament in Hong Kong, two years after the Asian Football Confederation was formed.

The 17th Asian Cup tournament, to be held in the United Arab Emirates from January 5 to February 1. Here is all you need to know about the tournament: -The Asian Cup is the pre-eminent football tournament in the vast continent, although it had inauspicious beginnings in 1956 when four teams played a round-robin tournament in Hong Kong, two years after the Asian Football Confederation was formed. -Hong Kong's Chang Chi Kong scored the competition's first goal in front of 30,000 spectators against Israel, who won the game 3-2. South Korea went on to win the title ahead of Israel with the hosts third and South Vietnam fourth. -It is the second oldest continental football tournament in the world behind South America's Copa America, which began in 1916. -The tournament has been dominated by the traditional powerhouses of Asian football with Japan having won the most titles - their fourth coming in a 1-0 victory over Australia in 2011. -Israel won the title in 1964 and finished third in 1968 but did not take part in Asian competition after 1974 due to political issues with Arab nations. It moved to UEFA in 1994. -South Korea won the first two tournaments and were losing finalists in 2015. -Iran won three successive titles from 1968-1976 - their only victories in the competition - and are still the only side to win three successive tournaments. They finished third in 1980. -Saudi Arabia won successive titles in 1984 and 1988 but were beaten 1-0 by hosts Japan in the 1992 final. The Saudis then won the 1996 title on penalties against hosts UAE. -Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning coach Carlos Alberto Perreira has won the tournament twice, with Kuwait in 1980 and Saudi Arabia in 1988, and is the only coach to win two titles. UAE coach Alberto Zaccheroni could match him in 2019 having led Japan to their 2011 triumph. -Iran centre forward Ali Daei holds the record for most goals in the tournament, scoring eight times in 1996, four of which were in the 6-2 demolition of South Korea in the quarter-finals. Daei also holds the career record of 14 goals. -The tournament was held on a four-yearly basis until 2004, when the AFC decided to change the timing to avoid clashing with the Summer Olympics and the European Championships. -The next tournament was jointly hosted by Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia in 2007 - the only time hosting rights were granted to more than one country. It was later called a 'mistake' by then AFC president Mohammed Bin Hammam. -Australia became part of the Asian Confederation after the 2006 World Cup and won the title on home soil in 2015. -The tournament was expanded from 16 to 24 teams for the 2019 edition. Kyrgyzstan, Philippines and Yemen will make their Asian Cup debuts in the UAE. -The United Arab Emirates will be hosting the tournament for the second time after edging out Iran in the bidding. They were runners-up on home soil in 1996. -Eight stadiums will host matches: Zayed Sports City Stadium, Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium and Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium and Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium and Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain as well as Sharjah Stadium. -The Zayed Sports City Stadium, which was built in 1980 and has a capacity of 45,000, will host eight matches, including the opener on Jan. 5 between the hosts and Bahrain and the final on Feb. 1. -The winners of the tournament will represent Asia in the 2021 Confederations Cup.

All you need to know about Asian Cup 2019

afc-asian-cup-2019

Afc Asian Cup 2019, News on Afc Asian Cup 2019, stories on Afc Asian Cup 2019, articles on Afc Asian Cup 2019, Afc Asian Cup 2019 stories at Wion, Afc Asian Cup 2019 news, Afc Asian Cup 2019 latest news