Qatar’s appearance in the Asian Cup final is in serious doubt after the competition’s organizers look into a complaint made by the United Arab Emirates.
The complaint stems from questions over eligibility of two of the Qatar’s players in their 4-0 semi-final victory over the UAE.
Almoez Ali, who has a tournament-high eight goals in the competition, and Bassam Al-Rawi are the two players in the microscope with the UAE soccer federation questioning if the pair meet FIFA’s requirements.
The governing body released a statement on Thursday:
“The Asian Football Confederation has received a protest from the United Arab Emirates FA regarding the eligibility of two Qatar players. This protest will now be reviews in line with the AFC regulations.”
If Qatar are found guilty they may be made to forfeit the match. The 2022 World Cup hosts are set to play Japan in the first ever Asian Cup final on Friday.