If Japan beat Qatar tonight, Hajime Moriyasu will become the first Japanese head coach to win the AFC Asian Cup. (Photo: AFC)

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With the two teams potentially 90 minutes away from creating history, the-AFC.com breaks down some of the key facts and details ahead of what promises to be a match to remember.

Showpiece specialists meet first timers

Japan are the competition's most successful nation, becoming champions four times since breaking through for their first Asian title on home soil in 1992, but they also boast a perfect record in the AFC Asian Cup final, having won in all four of their previous appearances in the decider.

In fact, they have only conceded one goal in the showpiece, in their 3-1 win against China PR in 2004, and three of their four wins have come in regulation time, with Tadanari Lee's extra-time winner against Australia in 2011 the only exception.

Conversely, the final will be completely new territory for Qatar who had never previously made it beyond the quarter-final stage.

While this is the first senior final at the continental level for Al Annabi, a number of their personnel, including head coach Felix Sanchez and star players such as Almoez Ali, Akram Afif and Tarek Salman, won the AFC U-19 Championship in Myanmar in 2014.

All eyes on Ali, but Osako looms for Japan

There is little doubt that Almoez Ali has been one of the revelations of the competition, scoring eight goals from six matches to equal Ali Daei's 23-year-old AFC Asian Cup record.

His achievements are all the more notable given that, playing primarily as a winger, he scored just once in his previous 13 appearances for club side Al Sadd.Barring a staggering turn of events in the final, Ali will be the first Qatari player in history to claim the competition's top scorer award, having already won the same title at the AFC U-23 Championship in China last year.

Qatar also feature the man with the most assists, with Akram Afif having set up a highly impressive eight goals, and creating a tournament-high 20 chances for his teammates, six more than any other player.

While Ali's performances have demanded attention, Japan have a potent attacking weapon of their own in Yuya Osako, who returned from injury to score two crucial goals in his side's 3-0 semi-final win over Islamic Republic of Iran.

Despite Ali being four goals clear at the top of the scoring charts, Osako, who has made just three appearances at UAE 2019, has been more efficient, scoring a goal every 53.5 minutes of game time, compared to Ali's rate of one every 66 minutes.

Moriyasu chasing dual firsts

Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu was part of the playing squad when his country first became Asian champions in his home city of Hiroshima back in 1992, and will become the first man in history to win the title as a player and head coach if his side prevail in the final

Perhaps surprisingly, Moriyasu will also become the first Japanese head coach to win the AFC Asian Cup, with the nation's previous successes coming under head coaches from the Netherlands, France, Brazil and Italy.

Head to head? Neck and neck

Four previous meetings in the AFC Asian Cup have produced one win for reach team, with the other two matches ending in stalemates.

Qatar won the first Finals encounter between the sides, defeating Japan 3-0 in the Samurai Blue's first appearance in 1988, before a 1-1 draw in Lebanon in 2000, a result which was repeated in Hanoi seven years later.

Japan won the most recent meeting between the sides, knocking Qatar out of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup they hosted with a 3-2 quarter-final win

Every man available

With outstanding disciplinary records wiped at the end of the quarter-finals, and no Japanese or Iraqi players picking up red cards in the semi-finals, all players are eligible to appear in the final.

For Qatar, this will mean the return of quarter-final hero Abdelaziz Hatim and impressive 21-year-old Bassam Al Rawi.