Doha: Qatar's 3-2 loss to Japan was a huge blow to the Asian Cup, which has seen a dip in the number of fans coming to the stadium to watch the matches.
But the fact remains that even when the hosts played their quarter-final at the 25,000-capacity Al Gharafa Stadium the official attendance was only 19, 479.
After Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE made early exits, only Qatar's progress could have lifted the continent's premier nations cup contest. Now with Qatar and Jordan also out of the event, more empty stadiums will not be a good advertisement for the nation which has won the rights to stage the 2022 World Cup.
While the Qatari fans were upset with their country's failure to make it to the last four, heart-broken players and officials admitted they lost to a superior side.
"After the first 30 minutes, we felt our place in the semifinal was assured. But unfortunately, we lost concentration and let in two goals.
"It was a bad game for us," said Qatari striker Ali Afif.
"Japan was a very strong team."
