Unbeaten Qatar plots ambush of Japan in Asian Cup final

ABU DHABI - While Japan has the Asian Cup pedigree, Qatar's overachievers might just feel that their name is on the trophy after a record-breaking run to their first-ever final.

Against a backdrop of simmering political tension, the Qatari players were pelted with plastic bottles - and even shoes - by furious local fans in a 4-0 semifinal thrashing of the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi.

After surviving that ordeal, the 2022 World Cup host believes it has nothing to fear from Japan.