Qatar's football team started the Asian Cup ranked 93rd in the world.
But after an almost flawless monthlong tournament, Qatari players brought home their first major trophy.
All the more remarkable, because their matches were played in the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE being one of the four countries imposing a complete blockade of Qatar since June 2017, fans were banned from going to cheer their team on.
And the players endured outright hostility on the ground.
Will the victory ease or exacerbate tensions in the Gulf?
Presenter: Martine Dennis
Guests:
Mahfoud Amara - Head of the Sports Science Programme, Qatar University; Author of 'Sport, Politics and Society in the Arab World'
James Dorsey - Senior fellow, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies; Author of 'Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer'
Rob Harris - International sports journalist
