Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar. Akram Afif rises highest to head home what proved to be the winner in a tense final between Qatar and DPR Korea’s U19 sides.
Felix Sanchez’s men are crowned Asian champions for the first time at that level.
With the trophy held aloft, gold medals proudly worn and a place at the FIFA U20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 sealed, Qatar’s number 5 and number 10 shared in a moment of reflection on the pitch, and a promise to keep going and repeat this achievement at senior level.
Little did Afif, the match winner, and his closest friend Serigne Abdou know about what lay ahead.
Abdou’s Senegalese
connection
At the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand, there were mixed emotions for Abdou as he lined up for his country of birth, Qatar, in the last game of their U20 World Cup campaign against his ancestral homeland Senegal.
Elimination at the group stage had already been confirmed following defeats to Colombia and Portugal.
Qatar took the lead but Senegal turned it around with Aspire Academy graduate Moussa Wague scoring the winner for Senegal. It was disappointment for the Qataris, but Abdou knew it was a step towards being at the FIFA World Cup seven years later, perhaps playing against Senegal again.
“May God have mercy on you”
However, a few weeks after the returning from New Zealand, the young defender was diagnosed with brain cancer. Months of chemotherapy and other treatments between Germany and Qatar followed and, by October of 2015, he was back in Doha, in recovery mode and already talking about returning to his beloved game for the 2015-16 season.
One year on, Abdou relapsed. Afif, then playing his football at Spanish side Sporting Gijon, tweeted a prayer for the health of his fellow Aspire Academy graduate. Two days later, the sad news arrived. Abdou did not make it to his 22nd birthday.
“We belong to God and to Him we shall return. Serigne Abdou passed away… May God have mercy on you,” tweeted Afif, reciting the traditional Muslim mourning prayer for his childhood friend, who was gone much too soon.
“I miss you, my brother.”
At the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi, with seven minutes to go to the final whistle, Afif slots home from the penalty spot for Qatar’s third goal of the night. It was their 19th of a historic AFC Asian Cup campaign, and the goal that cemented a 3-1 final victory over record champions Japan.
Afif and fellow AFC U-19 champion from 2014 Almoez Ali were the talismanic force behind the triumph, the former registering a competition record ten assists and the latter a record nine goals to take home the top scorer award.
Now, it’s the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, where Qatar will face Senegal once again. This time, at the FIFA World Cup. A dream come true for Afif and six of his teammates who were present on that evening in Hamilton. In spirit, Abdou makes his reunion with Senegal.
With the trophy held aloft, gold medals proudly worn and a place in this history books sealed, Qatar’s number 11 slipped into a quiet corner, reflecting on the promise of five years ago.
He Tweeted: “Serigne Abdo, it was our dream to be Asian champions one day, and today I want to tell you that we brought the Asian Cup to you, my brother. This trophy and the gold medal are for you. I miss you, my brother. May God have mercy on you” (Fifa.com)Qatar’s Aspire Generation faced Senegal at the FIFA U20 World Cup New Zealand 2015, but seven years later,
they will be without late teammate Serigne Abdou
