Afif is ranked 2nd in scoring, and Kang-in Lee is currently tied for 3rd.
Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein (28), who was likely to be the top scorer in the ‘2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup’, was sent off in the round of 16 while engaging in a goal-scoring match, bringing about a major change in the competition for the top scorer. Attention is being paid to whether Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), who has scored three goals, will have a chance to become the top scorer.
Iraq lost 2-3 in the round of 16 against Jordan held at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar on the 29th (Korean time).
Iraqi frontline striker Aymen Hussein, who was the top scorer with 5 goals in this tournament, scored a goal in the 31st minute of the second half of the 1-1 match against Jordan. Having scored his 6th goal of the tournament, he is one step closer to becoming the top scorer.
Aymen Hussein, who was excessively playing after the goal, received a yellow card and was sent off for accumulating warnings. Iraq, who lost Hussein to a sending-off and was outnumbered, allowed two goals in a row and lost 2-3.
Hussein, who was likely to be the top scorer, was unable to add any more goals and finished the tournament with 6 goals.
This gave courage to the top scorers. Currently in second place is Akram Afif (Qatar) with 4 goals. Afif, who is leading the attack of the host country Qatar with his quick dribbling and excellent goal-making ability, added a goal in the round of 16 match against Palestine and rose to second place in scoring.
Tied for third place in scoring are Lee Kang-in, who scored three goals, Ueda Ayase (Japan), and Odei Daba (Palestine). Oday Daba scored a goal against Qatar in the round of 16, but was unable to add another goal as Palestine was eliminated in the round of 16.
Lee Kang-in aims to score against Saudi Arabia in the round of 16, and Ayase Ueda aims to score against Bahrain in the round of 16.
Son Heung-min has not yet been eliminated as a candidate for top scorer. Son Heung-min, who scored two goals with two penalty kicks in the group stage, could enter the competition for top scorer if he starts scoring in earnest in the tournament.
If Lee Kang-in or Son Heung-min become the top scorer in the tournament, they will become the first Koreans to become the top scorer since Koo Ja-cheol in the 2011 tournament. 고스톱