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The 22-year-old striker almost had a brace one minute later, but his shot inside the box was deflected for a corner by Japan captain Maya Yoshida.

Japan, who had never lost in the Asian Cup final, pushed for the equaliser but things got worse after 27 minutes as Abdelaziz Hatim doubled Qatar's lead by curling an unstoppable shot from distance into the far corner.

"We made a poor start and they made us pay for it. I think it's my fault that the players failed to get into our rhythm," Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said.

Qatar nearly made it 3-0 10 minutes before the break as captain Hassan Al Haydos hit the post from close range. With the halftime approaching, Japan failed to turn their dominance of possession into clear chances.

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