If someone were to have shared the audacious belief, prior to the commencement of the Asian Cup, that Jordan would gallantly march their way to the tournament final – set to take place at the grand Lusail Stadium with its impressive 88,000 seating capacity, the very same venue where Argentina outclassed France to clinch World Cup glory a little over a year ago – you would have surely questioned their sanity.

After all, with a lowly world ranking of 87th, Jordan embarked upon this continental spectacle burdened with a lackluster record, having clinched only two victories in their past 10 encounters. Regrettably, their poor form carried over into the Asian Cup. Despite a strong start with a commanding 4-0 victory over a woeful Malaysian side, they then stumbled to a 2-2 draw against South Korea and suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bahrain.

Falling short of securing a top-two position in their group, Jordan's prospects seemed bleak. But by the slimmest of margins, they managed to scrape through to the knockout stage as one of the four best third-placed teams, defying expectations and keeping their tournament dreams alive.

Then all of a sudden, Jordan elevated their resilience to new heights. Their showdown with Iraq seemed destined for disappointment, but two crucial goals in the closing moments of added time propelled them to a thrilling 3-2 victory in the round of 16. Undeterred, they faced another dark horse in Tajikistan and emerged victorious with a 1-0 win in the quarterfinals.

However, their crowning moment came in the semifinals, where they defied all odds by stunning South Korea in their second face-off in the tournament. Jordan epitomized qualities that their star-studded opponents sorely lacked: unwavering concentration, seamless collaboration and dynamic mobility. Now, they find themselves standing on the cusp of a momentous achievement, as they reach a major final for the very first time in their history.

The feat also stands as a testament to the shrewd leadership of their coach Hussein Ammouta, who weathered heavy criticism following Jordan's abysmal display in 2023. In a defiant tone, he expressed his satisfaction with the team's achievement, stating, "It was a personal challenge for me to take Jordan to the final and I have achieved what I aimed for."

"We will have a full squad despite some minor injuries but I hope we'll be ready when the first whistle blows and we'll respond to the critics, 99 percent of the time I don't listen to them since I don't find anything useful," he added. "We prepare for the final as normal, without adding any more pressure on the players, and we hope to produce a performance that reflects our team level, and what we produced to reach the final."

As Jordan prepare to step onto the grand stage of their first-ever final with nothing to lose, their opponents Qatar hold the prestigious title of defending champions, having triumphed over Japan with an impressive 3-1 victory in the 2019 final in the United Arab Emirates. Now, Qatar set their sights on a rare achievement, aiming to become the first team in two decades to secure back-to-back Asian championships.

Despite the haunting memories of their underwhelming 2022 World Cup campaign on home soil, Qatar have staged a remarkable resurgence in the Asian Cup. They breezed through the group stage, effortlessly accumulating a perfect nine points with victories over Lebanon, Tajikistan and China. They mounted a comeback to secure a hard-fought 2-1 win over Palestine in the round of 16. 

Continuing their relentless pursuit of glory, Qatar prevailed in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout with a 3-2 quarterfinal victory over Uzbekistan before overcoming an early setback to conquer the mighty Iran with a thrilling 3-2 win in the semifinals.

"I am absolutely thrilled for Qatar, the people of Qatar, the passionate fans, and our incredible players," beamed coach Tintin Marquez, the vibrant Spaniard who took charge less than four weeks before the competition.

Acknowledging the pressure that comes with a final, especially against a team that has consistently displayed intrepidity throughout the tournament, Marquez confidently stated, "We'll embrace this challenge with courage and determination, with our sights set solely on victory. That is our utmost priority. We are resolute in our commitment to fiercely compete and showcase our best performance on the pitch.

"Settling for second place is not an option for us – we aim to be the absolute best in Asia."