SHOWS: ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (FEBRUARY 1, 2019) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) QATAR (WHITE SHIRTS) V.

JAPAN (BLUE SHIRTS) 1.

STILL OF QATAR FANS IN THE STANDS BEFORE THE MATCH 2.

STILL OF JAPAN FANS WITH LARGE JAPAN FLAG IN THE STANDS BEFORE THE MATCH 3.

STILL OF FIFA PRESIDENT GIANNI INFANTINO BEFORE KICK-OFF 4.

STILL OF JAPAN COACH HAJIME MORIYASU (ON RIGHT) SHAKING HANDS WITH QATAR COACH FELIX SANCHEZ FIRST HALF 5.

STILL OF QATAR'S ALMOEZ ALI SCORING GOAL IN THE 12TH MINUTE, 1-0 6.

STILL OF JAPAN'S GOALKEEPER SHUICHI GONDA AS ALI SCORES, WITH JAPAN'S GENKI HARAGUCHI LOOKING ON 7.

STILL OF ALI CELEBRATING GOAL 8.

STILL OF QATAR'S ABDELAZIZ HATEM (6) SCORING IN THE 27TH MINUTE, 2-0 9.

STILL OF ABDELAZIZ HATEM CELEBRATING GOAL WITH TEAM MATES SECOND HALF 10.

STILL OF JAPAN'S TAKUMI MINAMINO BEATING QATAR GOALKEEPER SAAD AL SHEEB TO SCORE IN THE 69TH MINUTE, 2-1 11.

STILL OF MINAMINO CELEBRATING GOAL 12.

STILL OF QATAR'S AKRAM AFIF CONVERTING PENALTY IN THE 83RD MINUTE, 3-1 13.

STILL OF AFIF (WITHOUT SHIRT) CELEBRATING WITH TEAM MATES AFTER SCORING 14.

STILL OF QATARI FANS CELEBRATING 15.

STILL OF QATAR TEAM CELEBRATING WINNING THE FINAL 16.

STILL OF TAREK SALMAN, KHALED MOHAMMED AND TEAM MATE CELEBRATING 17.

STILL OF OF DEJECTED JAPAN PLAYERS AFTER LOSING THE FINAL 18.

STILL OF QATAR TEAM CELEBRATING WITH ASIAN CUP 19.

STILL OF QATAR TEAM CELEBRATING WITH ASIAN CUP (WIDER VIEW) STORY: Almoez Ali scored a spectacular overhead kick for a record ninth goal of the tournament to set Qatar on their way to a first Asian Cup triumph with a stunning 3-1 win over four-times champions Japan on Friday (February 1).

Ali's 12th minute strike took him past Ali Daei's 1996 tally and, combined with a 27th minute strike from Abdulaziz Hatem and a late Akram Afif penalty, helped the Qataris make an emphatic statement ahead of their hosting of the 2022 World Cup.

The Sudan-born 22-year-old Ali's record goal came after a protest by the host United Emirates FA into his eligibility to represent Qatar was dismissed by the Asian Football Confederation only a few hours before kickoff.

Japan finally found a way through a Qatar defence that had not conceded in six previous matches when Takumi Minamino scored in the 69th minute but the penalty condemned the Samurai Blue to their first defeat in an Asian Cup final.