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AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023

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DOHA: Less than 13 months after hosting one of the all-time great World Cup finals, Qatar takes centre stage once again when 24 nations compete for the AFC Asian Cup in nine stadiums spread across the capital city of Doha.

Twelve years of controversy dogged the World Cup when Qatar were named 2022 hosts as the Muslim Gulf nation denied allegations of abuse of workers, discrimination and bribery to win hosting rights.

Qatar built new stadiums that were written off by critics as a waste of resources for a country with no football culture, with the venues seen as nothing more than potential white elephants.

But the world took notice when Qatar won their first Asian Cup title in 2019. Although the team failed to deliver at the World Cup, the seeds were sown as the sport grew in popularity.

With China backing out of hosting the 2023 edition due to its ‘zero-COVID’ policy, Qatar — who have hosted the Asian Cup twice before in 1988 and 2011 — took the opportunity with both hands to bring the tournament back to west Asia once again.

“Just over a year ago, Qatar hosted an exceptional World Cup, the first in the Middle East and Arab world, delivering a meaningful and long-lasting legacy,” said Hassan Al Kuwari, the marketing and communications director of the local organising committee. “The Asian Cup builds on this sporting legacy.”

In their bid to become the sporting capital of the world, Gulf states have flexed their financial might by hosting marquee events.

Apart from football, Qatar has hosted major boxing bouts and both the Formula One and MotoGP grands prix, while the 2024 World Aquatics Championships will also be held in Doha next month — another first for a country in the Middle East.

While the 2022 World Cup was not without controversy for the host nation and filled with mounting criticism off the pitch, once the first ball was kicked, the action on the field stole the spotlight.

The tournament defied doubts that the tiny country could host an event on such a grand scale and Qatar will hope the Asian Cup can do the same.

“I’ve participated in Olympic Games, the Euros, the last Asian Cup — you can’t compare this organisation with others. Thanks to Qatar, the country and football federation, for amazing facilities,” said Lebanon coach Miodrag Radulovic.

Although the Asian Cup’s popularity pales in comparison to the World Cup or the Euros, it has a rich history and is the second oldest continental championship in the world after the Copa America.

Qatar won the title in 2019 amid a diplomatic row and political tension in the Gulf. But since the World Cup, those bitter feuds have been set aside.

And from the opening game on Friday where Qatar play Lebanon, the hosts will once again open their arms to an influx of fans from around the region — especially with nearly half the countries in the tournament from the Middle East.

The 24 teams spanning Australia to Palestine will battle for regional glory over the next four weeks, culminating in the final at the 88,000-capacity Lusail Stadium on February 10.

It will take something special to beat the last big game at Lusail — the World Cup final 13 months ago when an Argentina side inspired by Lionel Messi defeated France on penalties.

Qatar won plaudits for its organisation of the World Cup but the team flopped on the pitch, their three straight defeats the worst performance of any World Cup host.

That lingering pain will motivate them in the defence of their Asian crown, but Carlos Queiroz was fired as coach only last month, giving replacement Tintin Marquez little time to prepare.

There are six groups of four, the top two from each reaching the last 16, along with the four best third-placed teams.

Japan, defeated 3-1 by Qatar in the 2019 final in the UAE, look the team to beat and are the most successful side in Asian Cup history with four titles.

Japan have fond memories of Qatar, having stunned Germany and Spain in the group stage of the World Cup before losing to Croatia on penalties in the last 16.

South Korea, Iran, Australia and Saudi Arabia — all of whom played at the 2022 World Cup and are former Asian champions — are also teams to watch.

In Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-Min, South Korea have the best player in Asia and a world-class performer who is enjoying his football again under Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou.

There will be extra interest in how Saudi Arabia — coached by the Italian Roberto Mancini — get on following an influx of foreign stars into their domestic football led by Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Palestinian team face an uphill task to emerge from a group containing Iran, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, with their minds on the war in Gaza, in which some players have lost loved ones.

This will be Palestine’s third time at the Asian Cup and they are chasing a first victory after failing to win any of their six matches so far.

Source: Dawn
 
Qatar begin Asian Cup defence with Akram Afif-inspired win over Lebanon

Qatar, the Asian Cup hosts, kickstarted their title defence with a 3-0 win over Lebanon in the tournament opener on Friday thanks to a brace from Akram Afif, their prized playmaker, and another goal from Almoez Ali.

Following a glitzy opening ceremony, with Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in attendance at Lusail Stadium, the two attackers stole the show to kick off the tournament with three points for the hosts.

Qatar had an early goal ruled out for offside but, after a period of dominance, Afif finally broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when he pounced on a lay-off by Ali in the box to make it 1-0.

Afif was the busiest player in the final third, staying two steps ahead of the Lebanon defence, finding space and creating plenty of chances which were wasted, while the playmaker also saw a header graze the crossbar on its way over.

Ali, top scorer in the 2019 edition, doubled the lead in the 56th minute when he headed home Mohammed Waad’s inviting cross from the left flank. Lebanon had their moments on the counter-attack to give their travelling fans some hope, but Qatar held firm.

Afif rounded off the victory in stoppage time when he pounced on a botched clearance and easily accelerated past a tiring Lebanon defence before applying a calm finish to make it 3-0. China play Tajikistan in the other Group A game on Saturday.



Source: The Guardian
 
If I am not wrong, Qatar defeated Lebanon in the opening game of the 2019 Asia Cup as well. History to be repeated?
 
We Have The Team To Surprise Australia In AFC Asian Cup: Bhaichung Bhutia

The tag of favourites might be pinned on Australia, but former striker Bhaichung Bhutia insisted that India have the ammunition to surprise the world No. 25 Socceroos in their AFC Asian Cup group match in Qatar on Saturday. India are clubbed with title contenders Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria in Group B. "You never know. I will not be surprised if India get a good result tomorrow, I mean we have the team to surprise them. You know, Australia is not the Australia of a decade ago. We also have made progress as a team," Bhutia told PTI on Friday.

"Yes, it will be a tough match, but it is not an impossible task (to get a good result) for this side against them," said the former captain, who is in town for the Masterclass programme organised by Orchids School.

So, can India reach the Round of 16 in the tournament? "First thing first, we need to tackle Australia. If we can get a good result against them, who knows," said Bhutia.

However, Bhutia, who played more than 100 matches for the country between 1995 and 2011, said absence of some key players like Ashique Kuruniyan, Jeakson Singh and Anwar Ali could just peg back the India side a bit.

Defender Ali, midfielder Jeakson and winger Kuruniyan are recovering from their respective injuries and have not travelled with the team.

"Yes, it may be a bit of a concern because these are experienced players. I think the absence of Kuruniyan will especially hurt India. He is a strong and versatile player, who has the speed and skill.

"He is a constant threat to the opposition. But that said we have other good players who can make an impact," Bhutia added.

As ever, India will depend on their talismanic captain Sunil Chhetri to find the goals against some tough rivals in the event.

Bhutia admitted there could be a case of over-reliance but added that right now Chhetri is India's best bet to net goals.

"He (Chhetri) is a wonderful player. The need of the hour is to score goals and it is soothing to know that we have a dependable player in that department. Every team needs someone to get those crucial strikes.

"Hopefully, we can provide some good assists to him and I am sure there will be a couple of chances to find the back of the net," said the 'Sikkimese Sniper'.

"Yeah, he is getting old and, perhaps, we will have to unearth a couple of more Chhetris very soon," he said with a smile.

The 47-year-old lauded head coach Igor Stimac for keeping India a combat-ready outfit.

"He (Stimac) has proved to be a good coach. India had done well in the last couple of tournaments under him. He knows how to keep the players in high spirits during a match.

"I think we've had a good amount of preparation for this tournament despite those injuries that you were mentioning, and it's now all about the right execution," Bhutia opined.

Bhutia, a member of the sports ministry's Mission Olympic Cell, said India's strong effort in the Hangzhou Asian Games will have its reflection on the country's outing in the Paris Games later this year.

"We are hoping to better our Tokyo (Olympics) medal tally in Paris. I think the commitment the sports ministry has shown to this mission Olympic programme...we've given support of every possible nature to the athletes.

"So, we definitely are expecting good results from Paris. Neeraj (Chopra) had given us gold in javelin, and who knows there could be a couple of more (gold medals). So, fingers crossed," he concluded.
​
NDTV
 
HT: Australia 0-0 India

Bheke and Ralte both produce crucial sliding interceptions in the box, one a tackle and the other a block with the latter conceding another corner.

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Chetri misses at least one chance every match.

We have defended well so far
 
FearlessRoar said:
HT: Australia 0-0 India

Bheke and Ralte both produce crucial sliding interceptions in the box, one a tackle and the other a block with the latter conceding another corner.

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FULL-TIME: Australia 2 - 0 India

Australia make their mark and begin their Asian Cup 2023  campaign with a win against India.
 
FearlessRoar said:
FULL-TIME: Australia 2 - 0 India

Australia make their mark and begin their Asian Cup 2023  campaign with a win against India.
Click to expand...
Australia came alive in the second half to kick off their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 with a 2-0 win over India on Saturday.

Having been frustrated in the opening period, goals from Jackson Irvine and Jordan Bos secured the points for an Australian side seeking to win the continental title for a second time.

The match at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium with 35,253 fans in attendance had a historic touch as Yoshimi Yamashita became the first woman to referee an AFC Asian Cup match, with the Japanese assisted by her compatriots Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi.

Australia started strongly, creating two chances in the opening minutes with Aziz Behich shooting wide after he was given time and space outside the box while Mitch Duke could not get his header on target from a Craig Goodwin free-kick.

Against the run of play, India could have taken the lead in the 16th minute after good work from Nikhil Poojary on the right flank created a crossing opportunity that found Sunil Chhetri unmarked but the 39-year-old attacker’s diving header went wide of the mark.

At the other end, a poor clearance by Gurpreet Singh five minutes later as he was being closed down by Duke saw Australia win the ball high up the pitch but the lanky Bengaluru FC goalkeeper recovered quickly to stop Connor Metcalfe’s goal-bound shot.

The Socceroos continued to be on the offensive for the rest of the half but were let down by poor finishing and resilient defending, failing to make their 11 corner kicks count.

Australia, however, only needed five minutes into the restart to find the breakthrough - albeit with a helping hand from Gurpreet who pushed a Martin Boyle cross straight to Irvine who calmly slotted home.

India had a half chance in the 69th minute when an innocuous challenge in the middle of the pitch saw the ball spinning behind Australian custodian Mathew Ryan, only for the ball to roll away.

India’s hopes were dashed four minutes later as 2015 AFC Asian Cup champions Australia doubled their lead with two substitutes working in tandem - Ryan McGree skipping past Subhasish Bose before laying the ball for Bos to tap in from close range.

Australia will play Syria next on Thursday while India will have to rebound against Uzbekistan.

AFC
 
Tajikistan came away from their first-ever AFC Asian Cup™ match with a valuable point after holding China PR to a 0-0 draw at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on Saturday.

With Qatar having beaten Lebanon 3-0 in the opening match, the hosts now top Group A, while the debutants from central Asia will be encouraged by their spirited performance against Team Dragon.

Coach Petar Segrt’s men dominated play throughout the first half, ending their first 45 minutes of AFC Asian Cup football with 12 shots to their opponents’ three, more possession and more passes completed.

The Tajik crowd thought their side had taken the lead in the 26th minute when Alisher Dzhalilov picked up Ehson Panjshanbe’s pass inside the box and fired a low effort that ended up just wide on the wrong side of the Chinese upright.

Goalkeeper Yan Junling had to show the best of his abilities just after the half-hour mark as he was forced into a diving save to parry away Dzhalilov’s squeezed left-footed strike from inside the box.

China finally had their first sight of the Tajik goal 10 minutes before the break when the ball fell to Wang Qiuming following a corner kick, and the midfielder struck it on the half-volley, with the ball looking destined for the back of the net before it was blocked by a heroic Menucheckhr Safarov who threw his body on the way.

Safarov nearly delivered at the other end of the pitch when he charged forward to meet Dzhalilov’s pass down the right, but his effort could not find its way to the Chinese target.

It was more one-way traffic as the second half got underway with Dzhalilov going for the spectacular but his volleyed attempt to meet Panjshanbe’s cross from the right was blocked and went behind for a corner.

Coach Aleksandar Jankovic, looked to revive his team’s attacking fortunes by introducing fresh legs into the pitch and the China boss was rewarded for his tinkering with an avalanche of attacks in the final 15 minutes.

Substitute Xie Pengfei rose highest to head a cross from the left into the path of Liu Binbin who squeezed it past the Tajik goalkeeper from a tight angle only for defender Zoir Dzhuraboev to clear it off the goal-line.

With 10 minutes left, Xu Xin, also coming off the bench, curled an effort from 25 yards out, only for it to be parried away by a flying Rustam Yatimov save into a corner that was crossed for Zhu Chenjie who headed it into the back of the net, only for the goal to be overturned following a VAR review.

With a point each to start their respective campaigns, Tajikistan take on hosts Qatar at Al Bayt Stadium next, while China play Lebanon at Al Thumama Stadium in the other Wednesday fixture of the group.

AFC
 
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The Palestine squad details include information on the players' origins.

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Takumi Minamino scored twice as Japan fought back to hand Vietnam a 4-2 defeat at Al Thumama Stadium on Sunday as the four-time champions kicked off their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 campaign in Group D with a hard-fought win.

Hajime Moriyasu’s side were made to work for the three points in their meeting with former Japan coach Philippe Troussier, whose team rattled the Samurai Blue before slipping to a loss delivered by Keito Nakamura’s curling strike and Ayase Ueda's late fourth.

Minamino had put Japan in front in the 11th minute but goals from Nguyen Dinh Bac and Pham Tuan Hai gave Vietnam the lead before Minamino equalised in the 45th minute and Nakamura bent in his right foot strike five minutes later.

Substitute Ueda added Japan’s fourth with a deflected strike with four minutes remaining.

Stade de Reims winger Nakamura had been involved in Japan’s first attack of note, feeding the overlapping Hiroki Ito down the left flank to force the Vietnamese to concede the corner that yielded the game’s opening goal.

Goalkeeper Filip Nguyen flapped at Junya Ito’s set-piece delivery and, while Yukinari Sugawara’s low goalward strike had been blocked by the defence, Minamino calmly stroked home through a crowd of players to put Moriyasu’s side in front.

But Vietnam were level within five minutes, taking advantage of a corner of their own as Dinh Bac steered a looping header from Do Hung Dung’s centre high over the helpless Zion Suzuki, who could only watch the ball hit the back of the net.

And while Minamino pulled his shot wide from 20 yards halfway through the half, it was the Vietnamese who struck next.

Sugawara’s foul on Dinh Bac presented Phan Tuan Tai with the opportunity to thump the ball into the penalty area, delivering onto the head of Bui Hoang Viet Anh, who forced Suzuki to save before Pham Tuan Hai gleefully pounced to put Vietnam ahead.

The lead lasted only 12 minutes as Minamino struck again to equalise, coolly slotting past Nguyen after Wataru Endo’s incisive, quickly played ball into the Vietnam penalty area.

Junya Ito forced Nguyen into action deep into injury time while Minamino’s attempt moments later was blocked, but the Japanese reclaimed the lead soon after through a brilliant Nakamura strike, the winger bending a vicious shot into the top corner.

That goal snuffed out Vietnamese resistance and, after Hidemasa Morita and Minamino saw efforts saved by Nguyen in the second half, Moriyasu’s team put the seal on the win in the 86th minute when Ueda’s deflected effort crossed the line.

AFC

www.the-afc.com

Group D: Japan 4-2 Vietnam

Doha: Takumi Minamino scored twice as Japan fought back to hand Vietnam a 4-2 defeat at Al Thumama Stadium on Sunday as the four-time champions kicked off their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ campaign in Group D with a hard-fought win.
www.the-afc.com www.the-afc.com
 
United Arab Emirates began their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Group C campaign with a 3-1 win over Hong Kong, China at the Khalifa International Stadium on Sunday.

Despite the defeat, Hong Kong scorer Philip Chan Siu Kwan etched his name in AFC Asian Cup history by scoring the 1,000th goal of the continental showpiece.

Hong Kong - the lowest-ranked team in the competition - displayed plenty of attacking intent early on with several long-range attempts but Khalid Eisa in the UAE goalmouth was mostly untroubled.

Everton Camargo squandered a decent opportunity just before the 10-minute mark when, despite having teammates on either side, chose to go for glory himself only to find his attempt blocked.

The tie took a significant turn in the 31st minute when Hong Kong centre-back Oliver Gerbig was adjudged to have handled Sultan Adil’s shot inside the box with Adil converting from the spot to give UAE the lead.

Hong Kong hit the ground running after the break and were rewarded with Chan drawing them level in the 50th minute, slotting home a stunning cross from Everton.

With the equaliser, Hong Kong etched their name in AFC Asian Cup for a second time as the occasion marked not only their first goal since Chang Chi Kong’s effort in 1956 (the first-ever in the competition), but it was also the 1,000th goal of the continental showpiece.

However, the Dragons’ joy was short lived as UAE regained the lead in the very next minute.

Despite blocking Abdalla Ramadan’s right footed attempt from outside the box, Hong Kong veteran goalkeeper Yapp Hung Fai could do little when the rebound was collected by Zayed Sultan who tucked the ball into the centre of the net.

Hong Kong responded by making several offensive changes, notably with 19-year-old forward Michael Udebuluzor replacing defender Yue Tze Nam but a second UAE penalty in added time saw substitute Yahya Al Ghassani slotting home for the points.

UAE will target another win when they play Palestine on Thursday while Hong Kong will attempt to keep their hopes alive against Islamic Republic of Iran on Friday.

AFC

www.the-afc.com

Group C: UAE 3-1 Hong Kong, China

Al Rayyan: United Arab Emirates began their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Group C campaign with a 3-1 win over Hong Kong, China at the Khalifa International Stadium on Sunday.
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Al Rayyan: Islamic Republic of Iran began their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Group C campaign with an eye-catching 4-1 win over Palestine on Sunday

Before kick-off, the players and fans in attendance stood united for a minute of silence, in compassion with the ongoing conflict in Palestine.

When the action got underway, three-time champions Iran took the lead after only two minutes of play when Mehdi Ghayedi’s cross from the left found Saman Ghoddos who controlled the ball with his first touch before setting up Karim Ansarifard for a well-placed shot into the bottom corner.

The Iranians looked dangerous every time they ventured forward and doubled their lead in the 12th minute when Ghoddos' curling free-kick found an unmarked Shojae Khalilzadeh at the far post to sweep past a stranded Rami Hamada.

It could have been three in the 22nd minute as Alireza Jahanbakhsh stole the ball off Michael Termanini at the edge of the Palestine box before sending his square pass towards Mehdi Taremi but an alert Hamada was quickly off his line to thwart the danger.

The third goal, however, came seven minutes before the break when a quick interchange of passes on the right flank released Jahanbakhsh who used Taremi’s run as a diversion to release the ball to the onrushing Ghayedi to finish.

Palestine, however, ended the first half with a glimmer of hope, a stunning Tamer Seyam header in the sixth minute of added time giving Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand no chance.

Their hopes, however, were dashed when AS Roma forward Sardar Azmoun - who came on at the start of the second half - needed only 10 minutes to make his presence felt, knocking home a loose ball from close range after good work by Sadegh Moharrami on the right.

Palestine tried to find a way back but Iran continued to dictate the pace and it could have gotten worse for the West Asian side when centre-back Mohammed Saleh was initially shown a red card for a foul on Azmoun but upon a VAR review, the card was rescinded with a yellow card shown instead.

IR Iran will look to cement the top spot when they take on Hong Kong, China on Friday while Palestine will face UAE a day earlier.


www.the-afc.com

Group C: IR Iran 4-1 Palestine

Al Rayyan: Islamic Republic of Iran began their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Group C campaign with an eye-catching 4-1 win over Palestine on Sunday.
www.the-afc.com www.the-afc.com
 
South Korea beat Bahrain 3-1 in their Asian Cup Group E opener on Monday with Paris St-Germain’s Lee Kang-in rescuing his side with a second-half brace at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.

With the score tied at 1-1 after goals from Hwang In-Beom and Bahrain’s Abdullah Al-Hashsash, Lee turned on the style with two lethal strikes that had the South Korean fans at the small 15,000-capacity arena screaming in delight.

A stop-start encounter witnessed plenty of fouls in the first half and although there was no malice in the challenges, South Korea had three players on yellow cards in the first half hour – including centre back Kim Min-jae.

The Korean fans had seen enough to start booing the referee whenever he kept his cards in his pocket for a foul from Bahrain and the pressure paid off when Ali Madan went into the book for a tough challenge. Madan was clearly on his mettle and the winger nearly broke the deadlock moments later when he was put through on goal, but his shot directed at the top corner narrowly missed the target.

But South Korea then took the lead through a quick, flowing move down the left wing where the ball was crossed into the box and Hwang curled home through a crowd of Bahrain defenders, two of whom ran into each other while tracking back.

Bahrain came out fighting in the second half and they were duly rewarded six minutes in when Al-Hashsash found space in the box and slotted home into the bottom corner. However, South Korea were not deterred and the east Asian side restored their lead five minutes later through Lee, who pulled the trigger from outside the box and saw his superb effort curl into the net.

The PSG playmaker doubled his tally soon after when he received the ball inside the box from Hwang, escaped his marker with some quick feet and showcased some panache as he curled another shot past the keeper inside the far post. His second took him joint-top of the tournament’s scoring charts alongside Qatar’s Akram Afif and Japan’s Takumi Minamino.

South Korean skipper Son Heung-min had a late opportunity to score when he was released into the box but his shot went wide while the Tottenham forward was also booked for simulation later when he attempted to win a penalty.

The Guardian

www.theguardian.com

Lee Kang-in turns on style for South Korea in Asian Cup defeat of Bahrain

South Korea beat Bahrain 3-1 in their Asian Cup Group E opener on Monday with Paris St-Germain’s Lee Kang-in rescuing his side with a second-half brace
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
Iraq got their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Group D campaign off to a strong start with a 3-1 win over Indonesia at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Monday.

In a game that marked Indonesia’s return to the tournament after 16 years of absence, coach Shin Tae-yong’s side exchanged attacks with their opponents, but ultimately lost steam as the game wore on.

Meanwhile, head coach Jesus Casas’ men came flying and nearly found themselves ahead after just three minutes when Ali Adnan whipped a free-kick from the right that was headed by Osama Rashid just wide.

Indonesia responded almost instantly, after a cross into the Iraqi box was punched away by goalkeeper Jalal Hassan but only as far as Marselino Ferdinan who hit it first-time, but watched it strike the top of the crossbar and go behind.

Just as he did in the UAE five years ago, Mohanad Ali opened Iraq’s AFC Asian Cup account again. The 23-year-old forward was first to snatch a loose ball inside the Indonesian half, advancing into the box before applying a composed finish past the goalkeeper in the 17th minute.

With eight minutes left until the break, Team Garuda restored parity after young right-back Elkan Baggott showed great skill to dribble past his marker before sending a low cross to serve Ferdinan on a silver plate, allowing the latter to tap-in the equaliser.

Seconds before the end of the half, the Lions of Mesopotamia took the lead again lead through Rashid who was at the right place at the right time to tuck home from point-blank after goalkeeper Ernando Ari pushed Ali Jasim’s drilled shot away into this path and the midfielder made no mistake to make it 2-1.

Amir Al Ammari thought he had extended Iraq’s lead soon after the restart when he side-footed Jasim’s pass into the bottom corner, but the flag had gone up, ruling him offside; a decision that was confirmed by the subsequent VAR check.

The third Iraqi goal arrived in the 75th minute through substitute Aymen Hussein who won an aerial battle inside the Indonesia box before rifling on the half-volley into the roof of the net to extend his country’s lead.

Iraq’s next encounter sees them clash against record-champions Japan at Education City Stadium on Friday, while Indonesia will chase their first AFC Asian Cup win since 2007 when they face fellow ASEAN side Vietnam later on the same day at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.

AFC

www.the-afc.com

Group D: Indonesia 1-3 Iraq

Al Rayyan: Iraq got their AFC Asian Cup™ Qatar 2023 Group D campaign off to a strong start with a 3-1 win over Indonesia at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Monday.
www.the-afc.com www.the-afc.com
 
Al Wakrah: Jordan got their AFC Asian Cup Qatar™ 2023 Group E campaign off to a resounding start with a 4-0 win over Malaysia at the Al Janoub Stadium on Monday.

Jordan richly deserved the victory, taking a 3-0 lead into the break against a Malaysian side who struggled to cope with the high intensity of their opponents.

Meeting in the AFC Asian Cup for the first time, Jordan caused Malaysia early problems with Yazan Al Naimat’s weighted pass to Mousa Tamari forcing goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi to race off his line to foil the attempt.

With the Southeast Asian side struggling to gain possession, Jordan threatened again in the 12th minute when Mahmoud Al Mardi’s cross flashed across the face of goal with Malaysia failing to clear their lines, allowing Al Naimat to set up Al Mardi, whose curling effort floated over Syihan to settle in the top corner.

It got worse for Malaysia six minutes later when Matthew Davies felled Al Naimat inside the six yard box with Mousa Tamari giving Syihan no chance with his spot-kick.

A VAR review meant Tamari’s 25th minute effort from inside the box was overruled but the respite was temporary for Malaysia as Tamari - allowed to roam freely on the right - relayed the ball to Al Naimat, who cut it back nicely for Al Mardi to nudge the ball across the line in the 32nd minute.

With Jordan taking their foot off the pedal, Malaysia saw more of the ball in the second half with Stuart Wilkin seeing his long-ranged effort blocked in the 61st minute, while Romel Morales was denied by a quickly advancing keeper Yazeed Abulaila.

Moments later, Kim Pan-gon rang in the changes for Malaysia with the introduction of Paulo Josué and Akhyar Rashid before sending on Mohamadou Sumareh and Safawi Rasid with 10 minutes remaining but it brought no change to his side’s fortunes.

Instead, it was Jordan who further widened their lead in the 85th minute with Anas Al Awadat sending a long pass to Tamari, who controlled the ball well under pressure before chipping over Syihan.

Hussein Ammouta’s Jordan face Korea Republic next, while Malaysia will be hoping to bounce back against Bahrain on Saturday.
 
Doha: Supachai Chaided struck twice as Thailand defeated Kyrgyz Republic 2-0 in their opening AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Group F tie on Tuesday.

Having seen their Southeast Asian rivals Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam suffer opening match defeats, Thailand produced a dominant display to take the points at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium.

Thailand were quicker to settle and good work from Nicholas Mickelson on the right created a chance for Supacho Sarachat in the 14th minute, with his shot hitting the post with Supachai’s effort in slotting home the rebound ruled offside.

Kyrgyz Republic survived another scare eight minutes later when Supachok’s clever flick over the top found Suphanat Mueanta but the OH-Leuven forward’s powerful shot hit struck the crossbar.

Thailand were not to be denied a third time when Bordin Phala, released down the left hand side in the 26th minute, cut inside before unleashing a curling grounder from 25 yards out that was palmed by Erzhan Tokotaev into the path of Supachai, who rushed in for a simple finish.

Kyrgyz Republic did improve in the closing minutes of the half with Zhyrgalbek Uluu Kairat unleashing a grounder from outside the box which custodian Patiwat Khammai easily claimed.

Masatada Ishii’s players started the second half in confident fashion, almost doubling their lead within two minutes of the restart as Theerathon Bunmanthan’s long pass found Suphanat but Tokotaev made a fantastic one-handed save.

The second goal came almost immediately after when Kyrgyz Republic failed to deal with Mickelson’s cross - the ball hitting the back of Tamirlan Kozubaev - giving Supachai another tap-in for his second of the night and third AFC Asian Cup goal.

The closest the Central Asian side came to reducing the gap came in the 52nd minute through Joel Kojo who,however, blasted his effort from close range over the bar as Thailand notched only their third AFC Asian Cup win.

The Southeast Asian side will look to continue their momentum when they take on Oman on Sunday while Kyrgyz Republic have the difficult task of bouncing back against Saudi Arabia on the same day.
 

FULL TIME: Saudi Arabia 2-1 Oman​

Doha: Goals from Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Ali Al Bulayhi earned Saudi Arabia a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Oman in Group F of the AFC Asian Cup™ Qatar 2023 at Khalifa International Stadium on Tuesday.

Roberto Mancini’s men dominated the early proceedings, with Oman sitting deep, remaining compact and looking to hit on the break.

From one such quick counter-attack, defender Hassan Tambakti was left chasing Mushen Al Ghassani and eventually brought him down inside the box. Salah Al Yahyaei stepped up and sent goalkeeper Ahmed Al Kassar the wrong way from the spot to convert the resulting penalty and put Oman in front after 14 minutes.

The crowd thought Saudi Arabia had equalised when Ahmed Al Khamisi missed his attempt to clear Saud Abdulhamid’s cross from the right and the ball found its way to Sami Al Naji who had the goal at his mercy from five yards out, but the attacking midfielder was caught off-guard and was unable to take his chance.

Oman had to be rescued by goalkeeper Ibrahim Al Mukhaini when Mohammed Kanno sent a diagonal ball into the box that was headed back across by Abdulhamid and Abdullah Fawaz’s attempt to intercept it almost resulted in an own goal if it wasn’t for the quick reflexes of Al Mukhaini who kept his side in the lead at the break.

Saudi Arabia continued pushing forward in pursuit of an equaliser after the restart and came close after eight minutes when Kanno cut inside from the left and looked to find the bottom corner, but Al Mukhaini was alert to the threat and made the save.

A minute later, Saleh Al Shehri nearly found the leveller when he chested down the ball inside the box and hit it on the half-volley, but his effort passed just over the crossbar.

Oman had a golden opportunity to double their lead midway through the second half when Al Ghassani broke free down the left and cut back for substitute Mataz Saleh who struck from just outside the box, but Al Kassar was able to deny his effort.

With Saudi Arabia trailing going into the final 15 minutes, Mancini introduced winger Ghareeb off the bench and was rewarded almost instantly as the Al Nassr man danced his way past three Omani defenders before tucking the ball away into the back of the net to restore parity in the 78th minute.

The Green Falcons’ comeback was completed in the sixth minute of added time when Ghareeb’s cross from the corner was nodded on by Ali Lajami for his centre-back partner Al Bulayhi who sent it home with a diving header, with the goal initially disallowed for offside but then awarded after a VAR review.

Oman will look to bounce back when they take on Thailand on Sunday, with the latter already on three points having secured a 2-0 win against Kyrgyz Republic who will be Saudi Arabia's next opponents later on the same day.

Source: AFC
 
Lebanon and China PR settled for a 0-0 draw in their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Group A match at the Al Thumama Stadium on Wednesday.

The result took China PR to two points while it was Lebanon’s first with both teams having much to do on Matchday Three if they are to advance to the Round of 16.

Both sides needed victory, with China held 0-0 by Tajikistan while Lebanon suffered a 3-0 defeat to defending champion Qatar in their opening match.

Lebanon were the quicker to settle and they took the game to a China side who looked shaky each time they came under pressure.

With five minutes gone, Lebanon’s Khalil Khamsi saw his header from Kassem El Zein’s throw-in collected safely by goalkeeper Yan Junling while at the other end, Wu Lei took advantage of a loose ball from defender Nour Mansoor to set up Lui Bin Bin but the latter’s effort was punched away by Lebanese custodian Mostafa Matar.

Both sides continued to exchange blows with striker Omar Chaban the Lebanese livewire, with his right-footed attempt hitting the side netting.

Dai Weijun forced Matar into action moments later, with the custodian needing two attempts to deny the China number 9.

It was Lebanon, however, who should have gone into the break ahead but Hasan Matouk’s right footed shot from outside the box was denied by the crossbar.

China started the second half on the front foot with Zhang Linpeng’s header from the centre of the box having to be parried away.

However, it was again Lebanon who came the closest to breaking the deadlock but midfielder Hasan Srour’s right-footed shot from outside the box was fisted away by Junling, who almost immediately had to ward off a dangerous header from defender Maher Sabra.

The West Asians survived a similar scare soon after when Srour denied Wu Lei’s shot from inside the six yard box.

Both sides rang in the changes in the remaining minutes but a breakthrough eluded them, leaving their knockout stage hopes hanging in the balance.

China will face hosts Qatar on Monday while Lebanon will cross swords with debutants Tajikistan.

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Al Khor: Qatar became the first team to book a place in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ knockout stage after a 1-0 win against Tajikistan in a Group A encounter at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.

The defending champions’ second win, coupled with China PR and Lebanon playing to a goalless draw earlier in the day, mean Qatar are assured of finishing as the Group A winners.

Tajikistan didn’t waste time in seizing the initiative, with Rustam Soirov’s shot from an acute angle forcing Qatar goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham into making an early save.

Qatar, however, began to assert their authority with Ahmed Fathy’s cross in the 17th minute finding Tarek Salman but the centre-back failed to get his header on target.

Just 30 seconds later, Qatar took the lead when Almoez Ali won the ball and released Akram Afif, whose burst of speed took him beyond Vahdat Hanonov with the forward dinking the ball over Yatimov for his third goal of the tournament.

Qatar thought they had earned a spot-kick in the 33rd minute after an altercation between Ali and Manuchehr Safarov but after a VAR check, referee Kimura Hiroyuki Kimura awarded Tajikistan a free-kick.

The Maroons had another opportunity just before the break when Yatimov spilled Afif’s shot but defender Zoir Dzhuraboev produced an outstanding goalline clearance to deny Ali who had pounced on the rebound.

Qatar survived a scare three minutes into the second half, a foot race between Alisher Dzhalilov and custodian Meshaal Barsham saw the Tajikistan forward getting to the ball first but with the goalmouth gaping, a heavy first touch took the chance away.

Qatar spurned two chances just before the hour mark, Ahmed Al Ganehi blazing his shot over from just inside the box and Ali then denied by Yatimov’s big frame.

Tajikistan’s hopes were undone in the 81st minute when Amadoni Kamalov had his yellow card changed to a red after a VAR check determined he had kicked out at Al Ganehi after he was bundled to the ground by Mohammed Al Bayati.

Qatar will look for their 10th consecutive AFC Asian Cup win when they face China PR while Tajikistan will have to defeat Lebanon on Monday if they are to stand a chance of advancing.
 
Jackson Irvine scored the only goal as Australia ground out a 1-0 victory over Syria at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Group B on Thursday to all-but confirm their place in the knockout rounds of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.

Irvine’s 59th minute goal, his second of the tournament so far, saw Graham Arnold’s side back up their opening win over India with another three points to sit on top of the standings with one round remaining.

The top two teams in each group are advance with the four third-placed sides with the best records also progressing and, with India due to face Uzbekistan later in the day, Australia’s hopes of going through have been significantly enhanced.

Irvine’s close range finish tipped the scales in Australia’s favour almost an hour into a game of limited scoring opportunities, even after the Syrians had given the Socceroos an early fright.

Ibrahim Hesar received possession inside the penalty area and, as he held off the attention of Harry Souttar, rolled the ball for Pablo Sabbag to send a low left foot shot that beat Maty Ryan, only to rattle the base of the post and bounce to safety.

Jordan Bos, starting after a substitute appearance in the 2-0 win over India, then pulled his shot wide from the edge of the area as the Australians were increasingly gifted possession by the Syrians, but struggled to make the most of their opportunities.

Irvine drove a header over the bar after a Connor Metcalfe free-kick that was floated in the direction of Souttar, only for the ball to sail over the head of the Leicester City defender and leave Irvine to miss the target.

Irvine threatened again with 10 minutes left in the half, fractionally mistiming his run at the far post and just failing to make contact as Gethin Jones flicked Martin Boyle’s corner across the face of goal.

Syrian attacks were rare in the first half but when Hector Cuper’s side ventured forward Australia were opened up, with Amar Ramadan pulling his shot into the side netting with six minutes left in the half. Sabbag shot over from 20 yards a minute before the interval.

Boyle’s persistence finally delivered the opener 14 minutes into the second half as the Hibernian winger slipped past Ramadan before finding Irvine and, after turning in the box, the midfielder poked his shot under Ahmad Madanieh to score.

Ryan then survived a scare as the game entered the final quarter, almost spilling Mouaiad Al Ajaan’s looping 30-yard strike over his own line before scrambling to keep the ball out and ensure Australia completed back-to-back wins.

Australia close out their group campaign against Uzbekistan on Tuesday while Syria will have to defeat India to stand a chance of advancing.

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Group B: Syria 0-1 Australia

Doha: Jackson Irvine scored the only goal as Australia ground out a 1-0 victory over Syria at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Group B on Thursday to all-but confirm their place in the knockout rounds of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™.
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Getting taught a lesson in football by Uzbekistan. Will be great if we get a goal in this tournament. Sunil Chhetri is done
 
Uzbekistan boosted their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 knockout stage hopes after a 3-0 win over India in Group B on Thursday.

First half goals from Abbosbek Fayzullayev, Igor Sergeyev and Sherzod Nasrullayev secured Uzbekistan the win at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium which took them to four points, two behind Australia.

Uzbekistan’s victory means Australia - who defeated Syria 1-0 earlier on Thursday - are assured of a knockout stage spot while India’s hopes now depend on winning their final group tie against the Syrians after two consecutive defeats.

Both sides rang in the changes but it was Srecko Katanec’s Uzbekistan who impressed, taking the lead in the fourth minute through Fayzullayev.

The CSKA Moscow midfielder orchestrated the move, intercepting possession deep in midfield before exchanging passes with Otabek Shukurov to open up the Indian defence before he rose highest to nod home past goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh.

Uzbekistan were unlucky not to find the back of the net again seven minutes later when Jaloliddin Masharipov curled in a beautiful free-kick which beat Gurpreet but not the crossbar.

India pushed forward but the move proved costly for Igor Stimac’s side as they conceded again in the 18th minute with Fayzullayev pouncing on Rahul Beke’s mistake before slipping the ball into the box, with Akash Mishra’s clearance rattling the woodwork before the ball landed kindly for Sergeyev to thump home.

India tried to fight back and came alive just before the half-hour mark when Mishra threatened with a looping header off a Sunil Chhetri set-piece, before the Indian captain missed the mark with his headed attempt at the 45th minute mark.

Nasrullayev, however, made it 3-0 for Uzbekistan in added time when he coolly tapped home after his initial effort rebounded off the post.

The onus was on India to find their way back and they came close to scoring in the 48th minute with Rahul KP hitting the crossbar before Chhetri failed to find the target off the rebound.

The onus was on India to find their way back and they came close in the 48th minute with Rahul KP hitting the crossbar before Chhetri failed to find the target off the rebound.

India poured bodies forward and were denied again in the 72nd minute by a resolute Utkir Yusupov, who produced a fingertip save to deny Beke’s long-ranged effort as Uzbekistan saw out the win.

India will need three points against Syria on Tuesday to stand a chance of advancing as one of the four best third-placed finishers while a win for Uzbekistan against Australia will see them finishing top of the group.

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Group B: India 0-3 Uzbekistan

Al Rayyan: Uzbekistan boosted their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ knockout stage hopes after a 3-0 win over India in Group B on Thursday.
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India is currently on a goal drought in the ongoing AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023. The net seems to be playing hard to get for the Indian team.
 

Palestine and 10-man UAE play out draw in Asian Cup​

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Palestine held 10-man United Arab Emirates to a 1-1 draw in their Asian Cup Group C match at Al Janoub Stadium on Thursday after Sultan Adil's opener was cancelled out by an own goal.

UAE took the lead in the 23rd minute when Adil scored with a leaping header but their hopes of an easy contest thereafter went up in smoke when Khalifa Al-Hammadi received a red card for a foul on Palestine forward Oday Dabbagh.

The UAE centre back was guilty of holding and then pulling Dabbagh down in the box, and he was sent off after a VAR review. However, Palestine's Tamer Seyam took a tame spot kick which was saved by UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa.

But with UAE down to 10 men, Palestine took the game to the 2019 semi-finalists and their persistence was duly rewarded five minutes into the second half when Bader Abaelaziz headed a cross into his own net to make it 1-1.

Source : Reuters
 
The Bald Eagle said:

Palestine and 10-man UAE play out draw in Asian Cup​

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Palestine held 10-man United Arab Emirates to a 1-1 draw in their Asian Cup Group C match at Al Janoub Stadium on Thursday after Sultan Adil's opener was cancelled out by an own goal.

UAE took the lead in the 23rd minute when Adil scored with a leaping header but their hopes of an easy contest thereafter went up in smoke when Khalifa Al-Hammadi received a red card for a foul on Palestine forward Oday Dabbagh.

The UAE centre back was guilty of holding and then pulling Dabbagh down in the box, and he was sent off after a VAR review. However, Palestine's Tamer Seyam took a tame spot kick which was saved by UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa.

But with UAE down to 10 men, Palestine took the game to the 2019 semi-finalists and their persistence was duly rewarded five minutes into the second half when Bader Abaelaziz headed a cross into his own net to make it 1-1.

Source : Reuters
Click to expand...

This is a very impressive performance from Pakistan. UAE is a reasonably strong Asian team.
 
Iraq booked their place in the last 16 of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 as two first half goals from Ayman Hussein earned Jesus Casas’ side a 2-1 win over four-time champions Japan in the second round of Group E matches at Education City Stadium on Friday.

Hussein netted with headers at either end of a first half dominated by a vibrant Iraqi side, who rekindled memories of the nation’s historic 2007 AFC Asian Cup-winning side in front of a vociferous, partisan crowd.

The win means Iraq, who have six points after starting their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Indonesia, are guaranteed to advance no matter the result of their final Group E game against Vietnam on Wednesday.

Casas’ team established the foundations of their success early in the game, unsettling the Japanese with their industry in midfield and reaped the rewards inside the first five minutes.

Takumi Minamino’s misplaced pass from the left touchline in the fourth minute fell at the feet of Ali Jasim and his long range effort was unconvincingly slapped away by Zion Suzuki.

Less than a minute later the Iraqis were ahead and again Suzuki was involved, the goalkeeper palming Jasim’s centre squarely onto the head of Hussein, and he powered the ball into the top corner.

The Japanese were rattled and took time to find their rhythm. Hiroki Ito’s weak shot from close range was straight into the arms of Jalal Hassan while Wataru Endo’s attempted overhead kick was well off target.

The Samurai Blue’s best opportunity of the half came in the 32nd minute when Takefusa Kubo picked up possession near the centre circle and played a quick pass forward to Takuma Asano.

But, rather than find the hard charging Junya Ito at the far post to score, Asano’s own effort on goal went harmlessly into the stands.

The Japanese were to regret not making more of that opening four minutes into injury time as Iraq doubled their lead.

Ahmed Yahya drove past Yukinari Sugawara near the right touchline before surging into the penalty area to deliver a cross that Hussein headed in after outmuscling Shogo Taniguchi in the six yard box.

Rebin Ghareeb denied Asano a goal scoring opportunity – and in the process survived a VAR penalty review by referee Khaled Al Turais – as Japan switched Junya Ito to the left in the second half to try to unlock the defence, with the Reims winger finding space to exploit.

Ko Itakura headed over the bar and substitute Ritsu Doan’s free-kick was too high while Mohannad Ali almost hit a third for Iraq at the other end when his low strike flew across Suzuki’s goal.

And while captain Endo scored with a header three minutes into injury time to give the Japanese hope, Iraq’s win was well deserved.

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Group D: Iraq 2-1 Japan

Al Rayyan: Iraq booked their place in the last 16 of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ as two first half goals from Ayman Hussein earned Jesus Casas’ side a 2-1 win over four-time champions Japan in the second round of Group E matches at Education City Stadium on Friday.
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Indonesia breathed new life into their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Group D campaign after edging Vietnam 1-0 at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Friday, thanks to Asnawi Mangkualam’s first half penalty.

The victory took Indonesia to third in the standings, level on points with Japan ahead of their meeting on Wednesday, as the Garudas ended a six-match winless run against Southeast Asian rivals Vietnam, whose hopes suffered a body blow.

Both teams opted to make two changes each with Nguyen Quang Hai and Nguyen Van Tung coming in for Vietnam while Sandy Walsh and Egy Maulana Vikri were given a starting opportunity for Indonesia.

It was Indonesia who started stronger, Ivan Jenner putting Rafael Struick through inside the first minute but goalkeeper Nguyen Filip was equal to the shot then minutes later, Struick again with a shot on the turn that just went past the post.

Slowly but surely Vietnam’s midfield trio of Quang Hai, Nguyen Tuan Anh and Nguyen Thai Son began to see more of the ball and midway through the half, produced their first attempt on target through Pham Xuan Manh’s header but it was straight at custodian Ernando Ari.

Filip was alert to deny another Indonesian opportunity when Justin Hubner clipped a pass to the far post for Walsh to nod at goal, however, the custodian went down to his left to push the ball to safety.

Three minutes before the break, Indonesia took a deserved lead when captain Asnawi Mangkualam tucked away a spot-kick after Nguyen Thanh Binh was penalised for pulling Struick’s jersey.

Three minutes before the break, Indonesia took a deserved lead when captain Asnawi Mangkualam tucked away a spot-kick after Nguyen Thanh Binh was penalised for pulling Struick’s jersey.

Vietnam head coach Philippe Troussier made two changes at the start of the second half with Khuat Van Khang and Le Pham Thanh Long replacing Pham Tuan Hai and Thai Son respectively, and it almost paid dividends immediately.

Vietnam began to rain shots at Indonesia’s goal with Van Khang’s fierce shot from the left forcing Ernando into a good save, then Tuan Anh slid inside the box but hooked the ball just over the bar.

Play was stopped for almost five minutes at the 64th minute mark after Jordi Amat suffered a blow to the head following an aerial tussle with Van Tung, with the Indonesia captain eventually forced to be replaced by Rizky Ridho.

To their credit, Vietnam continued to push for the equaliser but luck wasn’t on their side and the UAE 2019 quarter-finalists even went down to 10 men in stoppage time after Thanh Long picked up his second yellow in the game,

Indonesia need a result against Japan on Wednesday to stay in the knockout stage race while Vietnam will play for pride against already-qualified Iraq.

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Group D: Vietnam 0-1 Indonesia

Doha: Indonesia breathed new life into their AFC Asian Cup Qatar™ 2023 Group D campaign after edging Vietnam 1-0 at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Friday, thanks to Asnawi Mangkualam’s first half penalty.
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Al Rayyan: Mehdi Ghayedi’s second goal of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ was the difference as Islamic Republic of Iran overcame Hong Kong, China 1-0 in Group C at Khalifa International Stadium on Friday.

With six points to their name, Team Melli join hosts Qatar, Australia and Iraq in the Round of 16 with a game to spare, while Hong Kong’s hopes of progressing will depend on being able to beat Palestine on the final day of the group, as well as other results going their way.

The first chance of the game fell Hong Kong’s way when Matt Orr took advantage of a defensive mistake to collect the ball on the edge of the area and send a left-footed strike that was saved by goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.

The East Asian side thought they had taken the lead in the 17th minute when a misplaced pass by Roozbeh Cheshmi saw the ball find its way to Everton Camargo who rounded Beiranvand but skied his finish well over the crossbar.

Team Melli waited until the 23rd minute to get their first sight of goal, but when they did, they were denied by the upright when Ramin Rezaeian advanced down the right and delivered a cross at the far post for Shahriyar Moghanlou whose diving header hit the post and went behind for a goal-kick.

Two minutes later, IR Iran took the lead when Milad Mohammedi fed Ghayedi on the left wing and the Ittihad Kalba forward expertly curled it into the bottom far corner for his second goal of the campaign in a similar fashion to his strike against Palestine days earlier.

The second half started with intensity from both sides, but with play centered around the middle of the pitch and clear-cut chances few and far between.

Hong Kong, China goalkeeper Yapp Hung Fai showed his quality in making a flying save to push away a well-executed curled free-kick from Rezaeian which looked destined for the top corner.

Rezaeian found himself face-to-face with the opposition goalkeeper with just seven minutes to go after being set-up by a perfectly-weighted Saman Ghoddos pass, but the right-back failed to direct his shot goalwards.

Iran end their group stage at Education City Stadium against the UAE on Tuesday, while Hong Kong take on Palestine at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in the other 18:00 kick-off on the same day.
 
Jordan fails to cause upset and settles for a point.
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South Korea snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat with a 2-2 draw with Jordan in its Group E match of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 at the Al Thumama Stadium here on Saturday.

Just when it looked like another upset was on the cards in this edition of the tournament, after Japan’s 1-2 loss to Iraq, Yazan Al-Arab’s own goal injected new life into Korean fans and players, making it all square in the first minute of second-half injury time.

South Korea started the match as a typical Jurgen Klinsmann side, marching men up the pitch and creating chances through flanks. Its high press forced Jordan to slip up in discipline and, in the fourth minute, Ehsaan Haddad’s late challenge on Son Heung-min created an opening for Korea.

The referee, after discussions with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), took a look at the monitor and pointed to the spot. Son stepped up and scored his first goal of this Asian Cup with a calm finish into the net, sending goalkeeper Yaeed Abulaila on the wrong side.

Jordan gradually grew into the game, having its first real chance in the 21st minute when Mousa Al-Tamari’s left-footed hit forced a fingertip save by Korea’s back-up goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo, who replaced injured veteran Kim Seung-gyu.

Seven minutes later, he was tested again, with Mahmoud Al Mardi shooting on target from a free-kick but Hyeon-woo gloved it out to safety.

Eventually, Jordan found its equaliser through an Al Mardi corner, which was headed into his own net by Park Yong-woo. The Korean No. 5 failed to mark Yazan Alarab and ended up equalising on the far post in the 37th minute.

It was then that Jordan started pushing for gaps in the last 10 minutes of first-half regulation time and got it, four minutes into the stoppage time. Ali Olwan’s shot, saved by Korea’s back-line fell for Yazan Alnaimat, who rattled the net with a powerful hit.
Jordan, starting with a 3-5-2 formation early on in the game, corralled into a 5-3-2 shape in the second half to close down all spaces against an opponent desperate for a comeback.


The Taeguk Warriors returned to the pitch with the expected emotion, sending men in numbers into the final third, trying to score with passes through narrow channels. But a resolute Jordanian defence stayed put, clearing loose balls and marking Son with two players in the box.

As the 36,627-strong crowd, with the majority supporting Jordan, increased their cheers with beats on percussions and songs for the team, Korea stunned them to silence with the equaliser.

Son’s pass found Hwang In-Beom in the box, whose shot was deflected into the net by Al-Arab.

Klinsmann’s side almost scored the winner moments later when Lee Kang-In’s free-kick, headed by Park Jinseob, reached Hong Hyuseok. But the midfielder’s shot ended up in the side-netting.

Source: Sportstar
 

Bahrain 1-0 Malaysia - Match Report​


Doha: Ali Madan scored in the final seconds as Bahrain edged Malaysia 1-0 in Group E of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar™ 2023 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Saturday.

The win revives Bahrain’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stage, with the West Asian side to face Jordan on Thursday while the defeat ends Malaysia’s hopes, with the Southeast Asian side to conclude their campaign against Korea Republic.

Malaysia head coach Kim Pan-gon rang in the changes, with Dominic Tan and Shahrul Saad in a revamped defensive line-up with Corbin Ong and Mattew Davies on the flanks and they withstood Bahrain’s early pressure.

Despite Bahrain starting on the front foot, it was Malaysia who had the first look at goal in the seventh minute when Corbin Ong ‘s long throw-in was deflected into the path of Dion Cools, who couldn’t get his shot on target.

Malaysia came close again shortly after when Faisal Halim weaved his way into the Bahraini box before relaying the pass to Paulo Josue who was dispossessed, with the ball then landing nicely for Arif Aiman, whose shot was saved by Ebrahim Lutfallah.

Malaysia grew in confidence and threatened again in the 20th minute with Josue finding space down the left flank to send a delightful cross to Arif, only for the Johor Darul Ta’zim midfielder to squander the opportunity.

Malaysia’s Davies tested Lutfallah seven minutes later from distance while at the other end, Madan waltzed his way inside the box before rattling the upright from an acute angle.

Bahrain almost took the lead in the 31st minute through Komail Al Aswad when he surged into the box and managed to slip the ball past goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi, only for Dominic to scramble the ball off the line as the score remained 0-0 going into the break.

Bahrain started the second half with the same intensity as they did the first but Abdullah Al Hashash, Al Aswad and Madan all saw their attempts go to waste.

Abdulla Yusuf Helal then squandered his chance to give Bahrain the lead in the 56th minute when he angled his headed attempt just wide off Mohamed Adel’s cross from the right, before Yusuf Helal was denied again after seeing his shot blocked just after the hour mark.

Both sides could have scored as the match entered the closing minutes with Davies unlucky with his volleyed effort off substitute Akhyar Rashid’s cross while Ali Hasan Isa shot his effort straight at the Malaysian custodian after he broke clear of the Malaysian defence.

Bahrain’s persistence finally paid off when Madan struck with the outside of his left foot in the fifth minute of added time after Malaysia failed to clear a corner.

Source: AFC
 
Thailand boosted their hopes of advancing to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 knockout stage after battling to a goalless draw with Oman in their Group F tie on Sunday.

The result took Thailand to four points with three-time champions Saudi Arabia their final group stage opponents while the draw means Oman’s hopes hang in the balance with the West Asian side to play Kyrgyz Republic in their concluding tie.

Thailand defeated Kyrgyz Republic 2-0 in their opener while Oman suffered a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia.

While Thailand showed slightly more initiative in the early minutes of the game, both teams began the match with a measured approach and avoided too many offensive forays.

The War Elephants had their first chance when a 15th minute corner kick from Teerathon Bunmathan was powerfully headed towards the Oman goal by defender Elias Dolah. However, the attempt was cleared to safety by midfielder Abdullah Fawaz after being initially punched away by goalkeeper Ibrahim Al Mukhaini.

Oman began to find their footing, Issam Al Sabhi receiving Jameel Al Yahmadi’s cross at an opportune position inside the box but had his left-footed shot to the centre of the goal blocked by Thai goalkeeper Siwarak Tedsungneon.

The West Asian side closed the half strongly but couldn't find a breakthrough as they took the stalemate into the break.

A more determined Thailand side took the field in the second half and there was a window of opportunity opened when Suphanat Mueanta intercepted an overhead cross from Oman’s Arshad Al Alawi and charged forward into the Oman box but was met by the steely figure of defender Ahmed Al Khamisi.

Almost immediately after, Oman skipper Harib Al Saadi tore through the Thai defence but despite warding off as many as four white shirts, had his attempt blocked by the Thai custodian.

The Branko Ivankovic-led Oman came to life as the clock hit the 70th minute and began to pile pressure on the Thai defence line, most notably with Khalid Al Baikri’s free-kick finding Al Sabhi inside the six yard box but his attempt to poke the ball into the Thai net was deftly parried away by the goalkeeper.

Oman’s frustration grew as the minutes ticked away and when the final whistle was blown, it was Thailand who were clearly the happier of the two sides.

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Group F: Oman 0-0 Thailand

Doha: Thailand boosted their hopes of advancing to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ knockout stage after battling to a goalless draw with Oman in their Group F tie on Sunday.
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Al Rayyan: Saudi Arabia marched to a comfortable 2-0 win over nine-man Kyrgyz Republic in Group F of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Sunday.

A second win on the trot for the three-time champions in front of 39,557 fans confirms their place in the Round of 16, while Kyrgyz Republic remain with no point from two games.

After an intense start, Kyrgyz Republic found themselves in trouble after just nine minutes when they were reduced to 10 men with Aizar Akmatov receiving a red card for a reckless challenge on Sami Al Naji just outside the box.

Mohammed Al Burayk curled the resulting free-kick towards the top corner but goalkeeper Erzhan Tokotaev made a flying save to deny him.

The Green Falcons had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 27th minute when Al Burayk delivered a pinpoint cross from the left for Feras Al Buraikan who was left unmarked but could not direct his header towards the target.

The opening Saudi goal arrived in the 35th minute when after Abdulelah Al Malki’s powerful strike from long range cannoned off the post, Saud Abdulhamid was first to the rebound, crossing for Mohammed Kanno who converted it home at the far post.

The woes of Kyrgyz Republic were compounded five minutes into the second half following another heavy challenge, this time from Kimi Merk on Hassan Tambakti saw the 19-year-old Kyrgyz midfielder receiving his marching orders, while the Saudi defender hobbled off, being replaced by Saleh Al Shehri.

Kanno nearly doubled his tally in the 72nd minute when he rose unopposed to head Al Burayk’s delivery from the corner past the Kyrgyz goalkeeper, only to be denied by the post.

Five minutes before the end of 90, Saudi Arabia got their second goal of the night through substitute Faisal Al Ghamdi. The young midfielder fired an effort from the edge of the area that proved too powerful for goalkeeper Tokotaev whose attempt to punch it away ended up with the ball in the back of the net instead.

Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Ali Al Bulayhi could have repeated their goal-scoring heroics from the first match against Oman late on. The former curled a shot from inside the box towards the far corner, and the latter powered a header from close range, only for both to see their efforts saved by Tokotaev.

Saudi Arabia round-off their group stage journey at Education City Stadium on Thursday with a top-of-the-table clash with Thailand who currently sit second with four points, while Kyrgyz Republic’s slender hopes of sealing one of the best-ranked third place teams will depend on them getting a win against Oman and other results going their way.
 
Hassan Al Haydos’ goal-of-the-tournament contender earned Qatar a 1-0 win over China PR in their final Group A clash of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 at Khalifa International Stadium on Monday as the hosts all-but eliminated Aleksandar Jankovic’s side from the competition.

The Qatari captain came off the bench to smash a spectacular volley from 20 yards past the helpless Yan Junling in the 66th minute and maintain the much-changed defending champions’ perfect start to the campaign and stretch their winning run to 10 matches.

Jankovic’s side needed a win to be certain of advancing to the last 16 but, after failing to find the back of the net in their opening games against Tajikistan and Lebanon, the Chinese once again misfired in attack with their fate now out of their hands.

Qatar started with the tournament’s joint-leading scorer Akram Afif on the bench alongside the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Golden Boot winner Almoez Ali and Al Haydos as Marquez Lopez made 10 changes to the team that started the 1-0 win over Tajikistan.

The Chinese, meanwhile, left Wu Lei on the sidelines with Wei Shihao making his first start alongside captain Wu Xi and Lin Liangming as Dai Wai-tsun and Xu Xin were also dropped to the bench.

While Boualem Khoukhi sent an early header wide of the Chinese goal, it was Jankovic’s team who cut through the home defence in the seventh minute, narrowly failing to take the lead after Lin Liangming released Zhang Yuning and his cutback was thumped wide by Wei.

Zhang had an effort blocked by Khoukhi as China PR made their attacking intentions clear early in the game, although the Qataris presented a threat at the other end despite their wholesale changes, with Abdulaziz Hatem’s curling strike clearing the bar.

Wei almost opened the scoring nine minutes before halftime when his close range effort was brilliantly blocked by Saad Al Sheeb’s left-hand save after the Wuhan Three Towns striker had seen Wu’s scuffed shot land at his feet.

Khalid Muneer’s dipping attempt dropped over the crossbar while Chinese strike duo Zhang Yuning and Wei both steered headers off target in the final exchanges of the opening 45 minutes.

Muneer threatened again early in the second period but, with the game at risk of petering out, Lopes introduced Afif and Al Haydos from the bench and within moments the pair combined in spectacular fashion.

Afif’s perfectly flighted corner found Al Haydos unmarked on the edge of the penalty area and the veteran midfielder drove his first-time right-foot strike home at an unstoppable rate to secure Qatar’s third win in a row.

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Group A: Qatar beat China PR to stay perfect

Doha: Hassan Al Haydos’ goal-of-the-tournament contender earned Qatar a 1-0 win over China PR in their final Group A clash of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 202™3 at Khalifa International Stadium on Monday as the hosts all-but eliminated Aleksandar Jankovic’s side from the competition.
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Debutants Tajikistan produced a stirring comeback to prolong their journey at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, defeating Lebanon 2-1 on Monday to finish second in Group A.

The Central Asian side showed great fight and spirit as Nuriddin Khamrokulov’s goal in the second minute of stoppage time saw them finish on four points, two better than China PR with Lebanon on one point.

With Amadoni Kamalov not available due to suspension, Petar Segrt introduced Shervoni Mabatshoev into the starting line-up with the FC Istiklol midfielder coming into the match having only played eight minutes in the tournament.

Backed by a sizable Lebanon-supporting crowd in the stands, Miodrag Radulovic’s side had two openings early on but attempts by Hussein Zein and Hassan Maatouk were well covered by Tajikistan custodian Rustam Yatimov.

Tajikistan responded with their first attempt on target in the 24th minute when Zoir Dzhuraboev climbed high at the back post to get his head on to Akhtam Nazarov’s cross, however, it was a tame effort which Mostafa Matar easily dealt with.

The Central Asian side nearly broke the deadlock seven minutes later, with Matar out of position after having made a clearance, a quick Tajikistan throw-in saw Manuchehr Safarov unleash a shot which bounced off the crossbar.

It was end-to-end action with Lebanon next to threaten, Vahdat Hanonov was caught out of position late in the half which opened space for Bassel Jradi to run into, his shot was a tricky one for Yatimov to deal with but the goalkeeper got down quickly to deny the Bangkok United forward.

In the fifth minute of added time, Mabatshoev thought he had struck Tajikistan’s first-ever goal at the AFC Asian Cup but it was ruled out for offside after a VAR check as the teams went into the break tied.

Lebanon started the second half in fine fashion, scoring their first goal of the tournament two minutes in when Hassan Srour fed Jradi, who curled his shot into the far corner beyond the despairing dive of Yatimov.

Joy turned to worry in the 56th minute for Lebanon after they went down to 10 men following Kassem El Zein’s dismissal, an initial yellow card for a studs-up challenge on Alisher Dzhalilov changed to red card after a VAR check.

For the second time in the match, Tajikistan found the back of the net - this time through Dzhalilov in the 69th minute but yet again a VAR check determined that Mabatshoev had been offside in the buildup.

Tajikistan’s first ever AFC Asian Cup goal, however, finally came with 10 minutes remaining when Parvizdzhon Umarbaev produced a delightful free-kick into the bottom corner, giving Matar no chance.

The comeback was completed two minutes into added time when Ehson Panshanbe swung a cross into the box which saw Khamrokulov looping a header into the net beyond Matar as Tajikistan took their AFC Asian Cup debut into the knockout stage of Qatar 2023.

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Group A: Tajikistan edge Lebanon to continue journey

Doha: Debutants Tajikistan produced a stirring comeback to prolong their journey at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™, defeating Lebanon 2-1 on Monday to finish second in Group A.
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India vs Syria AFC Asian Cup Highlights: IND lose 0-1 to SYR, knocked out with no points or goals

India vs Syria AFC Asian Cup Highlights: Syria scored in the last 15 minutes of regular time to qualify to the knockouts of the Asian Cup for the first time.

India vs Syria AFC Asian Cup Highlights: A breathless first half ended goalless with India making a good start to the match and Syria then dominating towards the end. The second half has started off ominously for India with the very important Sandesh Jhingan picking up an injury and being taken off for Nikhil Poojary. The second half was almost as frantic as the first half with both sides coming close to scoring at various points. However, it was Syria who broke the deadlock with substitute Omar Khrbin scoring in the 76th minute. India attacked right until the last second of the match though but in the end, they lost 1-0. It meant that India have been knocked out the 2023 Asian Cup without scoring a goal or winning a point.

India vs Syria AFC Asian Cup Live Score: The ref blows the whistle with the Syrian players asking him to do that instead of asking them to take a goal kick. Their bench stream on to the field, it is a historic moment for a country that has had so, so very little to celebrate in the last decade and more. India can walk off the field with their heads held high. They threatened right till the last second of the match, the only things missing really was the finishing move, which seems to be a plague that India just can't find a cure for. India finish the tournament off with no points or goals, which is not a good look on them at all. But it hasn't been for the want of trying. Everyone knew that they have been handed a devilish group and the fact that they managed to make Australia work for their goal and keep Syria on their toes right till the end is credit to them. The match in between against Uzbekistan, well that's one to forget isn't it. A mixed bag in the end for India, hopefully a bag that'll be useful for them when the World Cup qualifiers comes around later this year, which Stimac said is their real target.

Source : The Hindustan Times
 
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Both teams had eight shots. Both teams had one shot on target. The possession was pretty evenly split. Uzbekistan defended tightly but were more expansive in possession than both India and Syria combined and still the Socceroos had a tough time penetrating. It was a little static. There were a few too many touches, and not enough creativity. Granted, Arnold made five changes for this match to rest some legs and give Yengi a chance to play. I do want to see what Fornaroli might be able to do with a start if he is given one in the round of 16, especially if Duke is not fit to return yet.

Speaking of the round of 16, Australia will play one of the best third-placed teams on Sunday at 10.30pm AEDT. Ostensibly that means the opponent will not be so difficult, but you can bet if that’s the case they will park the bus to try and push it to extra-time and penalties. It is hard to complain when the Socceroos have just topped their group and are undefeated heading into the knockouts, but I’ve also seen nothing yet to indicate they can win this tournament. Then again, Japan and South Korea haven’t exactly lit the world on fire either. So who bloody knows? Going to love you and leave you with the two goals. See you Sunday night.

Source: The Sydney Herald
 
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Al Rayyan: A Mehdi Taremi double earned Islamic Republic of Iran a 2-1 win over the United Arab Emirates in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ at Education City Stadium on Tuesday.

Despite the defeat, the UAE join their opponents in the Round of 16 as Group C runners-up, edging out Palestine on goal difference after the Palestinians beat Hong Kong, China 3-0 in the simultaneous kick-off at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.

There was joy for Palestine though as they confirmed a first ever knockout stage appearance as one of the best four third-placed teams.

Taremi opened his Qatar 2023 account in the 25th minute, moving behind the Emirati defence to take advantage of an intelligent Sardar Azmoun pass before coolly slotting home.

Team Melli thought they had doubled their lead in the 33rd minute when Ehsan Hajsafi’s whipped delivery from the left was headed home by Ali Gholizadeh, but following a VAR check, the goal was ruled out for an offside.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei’s men started the second half the same way they finished the first and were within a whisker of doubling their lead when Azmoun pounced on a poor clearance on the edge of the Emirati area and hit on the half-volley, but his effort passed just wide.

It was the UAE who had the best chance of the early proceedings of the second period when Yahya Al Ghassani was brought down inside the box by Hossein Kanaani. Al Ghassani stepped up to take the resulting penalty, but his attempt was saved by an excellent diving save from Alireza Beiranvand.

IR Iran’s star duo Azmoun and Taremi combined again to make it 2-0 in the 65th minute when the AS Roma forward cut inside and fed his teammate with a well-weighted pass and Taremi emphatically converted into the roof of the net to double Team Melli’s advantage.

UAE goalkeeper was called upon to make a flying reflex save in the 73rd minute to deny Ramin Rezaeian’s curled free-kick from the left side.

Another VAR call had a goal from substitute Mohammad Mohebi overturned after the Iranian forward was deemed to have fouled Khalid Al Hashemi inside the box in the build-up before he struck the rebound home after Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s initial shot hit the crossbar.

Al Ghassani made up for his missed penalty kick with a decisive goal in added time of the second half as he broke free down the left, cutting inside on his right foot and finding the far corner with his finish to half the deficit.
 
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Doha: Palestine booked a first ever appearance in the AFC Asian Cup™ knockout stage after defeating Hong Kong, China 3-0 at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Tuesday.

Oday Dabbagh starred with a brace with Zeid Qunbar also finding the net as Palestine advanced despite finishing third in Group C, the victory also their first ever in AFC Asian Cup history.

Islamic Republic of Iran emerged top with a 2-1 win over United Arab Emirates, who finished ahead of Palestine on goal difference with both on four points.

Palestine were quick off the blocks, putting Hong Kong under pressure with Dabbagh almost finding a way through in the fourth minute when he collected Mus'ab Al Battat's pass from the top of the box before being forced wide by Oliver Gerbig.

Hong Kong responded through Yue Tze Nam, who saw his effort from outside the box blocked, while Everton failed to find the target from a set-piece situation, sending his strike over the bar.

Palestine, however, looked the more dangerous and took the lead in emphatic fashion in the 12th minute. Al Battat charged down the right flank before supplying a precise cross for Dabbagh to power home his header into the back of the net.

Wasted attempts by Tamer Seyam in the 21st minute and later from Dabbagh allowed Hong Kong some breathing space but they failed to maximise their chances, with Philip Chan Siu Kwan and Everton both failing to find the mark.

Hong Kong’s search for the equaliser left them vulnerable in defence but they were let off the hook in the 41st minute when Dabbagh received Seyam’s deflected pass from inside the box, only to hit his effort straight at custodian Tse Ka Wing.

The East Asian side could have drawn level just before the break when Everton waltzed past three Palestinian defenders into the box but his low drive was easily dealt with by goalkeeper Rami Hamada.

Palestine maintained their high-pressing game after the interval and were rewarded with their second goal in the 48th minute after Hong Kong failed to deal with Al Battat’s cross from the right once again with Qunbar finishing with a fine header.

Hong Kong refused to give up as they pushed forward, only to be caught off guard by Palestine when Hamada’s long goal kick found Seyam at the other end, whose effort from just above the box rebounded off the crossbar and landed kindly for Dabbagh to tap in.

Hong Kong earned a penalty in the closing stages of the game following a VAR decision, only for Everton to send his effort against the crossbar, leaving Palestine to celebrate their historic achievement - a first appearance in the knockout stage in three attempts.
 
sweep_shot said:
India faced Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria. All 3 countries are superior to India when it comes to football.

Not surprised at the result.
Click to expand...
It's not the results, it's the manner of the losses.

I think India clearly have been the worst in the tournament alongside Malaysia maybe
 
Ayase Ueda scored a goal in each half as Japan eased to a 3-1 win over Indonesia at Al Thumama Stadium on Wednesday as the four-times champions confirmed their place in the last 16 of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 as runners-up in Group D.

Ueda’s sixth minute penalty put Hajime Moriyasu’s side in early control and the Feyenoord striker doubled his team’s lead seven minutes into the second half to ensure the Samurai Blue bounced back from their 2-1 loss against Iraq on Matchday Two.

Indonesia’s Justin Hubner put the ball in his own net three minutes from time before Sandy Walsh struck at the other end a minute into injury time when he slotted a consolation past Zion Suzuki.

The result means Japan finish behind Iraq while Indonesia take third place and will have to wait for the conclusion of the group phase on Thursday to determine if they will advance to the last 16.

The Japanese wasted little time imposing themselves on the game and within three minutes Ritsu Doan’s clever pass into the penalty area had released Ueda, who was wrestled to the ground by Indonesia captain Jordi Amat.

Referee Khamis Al Marri initially allowed play to continue before being called to the pitch-side monitor and he had little hesitation to point to the spot, from where Ueda slammed his right-foot shot emphatically beyond Ernando Ari’s reach.

The early goal allowed the Samurai Blue to control the game, dominating possession and pressing the Indonesians into mistakes deep in their own territory, with Takefusa Kubo dragging his effort wide midway through the half.

The Indonesians had a sight of goal when Marselinho was played into space on the half-hour mark but his attempt was steered out for a corner by Yuta Nakayama as he covered Suzuki’s near post.

Japan responded by further increasing the tempo, Kubo clipping the ball over the defence for Seiya Maikuma to cut back at full stretch to the lurking Nakamura, only for his shot to bounce to safety off the inside of the post with Ernando well beaten.

Seven minutes into the second half Ueda was on target again, this time finishing off a flowing team move that started with Takehiro Tomiyasu feeding Doan in midfield.

The Freiburg winger galloped through the middle before receiving a return pass from Nakamura to set up Ueda with the simplest of finishes at the far post with a defence-splitting angled pass across the face of goal.

Doan was millimetres away from his side’s third two minutes later when he side-footed across goal and Hubner cleared a headed effort from the Bundesliga-based winger off his own line in the 64th minute.

Hubner redirected Ueda’s 87th minute effort into his own goal off the underside of the crossbar as the Japanese attacked again before Sandy Walsh beat Suzuki low at his near post with a strike from close range.

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Group B: Ueda steers Japan into Round of 16

Doha: Ayase Ueda scored a goal in each half as Japan eased to a 3-1 win over Indonesia at Al Thumama Stadium on Wednesday as the four-times champions confirmed their place in the last 16 of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 as runners-up in Group D.
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Aymen Hussein came off the bench to score twice as Iraq defeated Vietnam 3-2 in Group D of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ on Wednesday.

The win meant Iraq topped the group with nine points with Vietnam bidding farewell to the tournament after three consecutive defeats. Japan took second place after a 3-1 win over Indonesia.

With a spot in the knockout stage already booked, Iraq head coach Jesus Casas fielded an entirely changed starting lineup, with the exception of defender Rebin Solaka.

Vietnam thought they had secured the lead in the 17th minute when Iraqi defender Zaid Tahseen's attempt to clear Vo Minh Trong's cross inadvertently resulted in the ball going into his own net but an intervention from VAR saw the scoreline being restored to 0-0.

However, the Golden Star Warriors broke the deadlock in the 40th minute when an unmarked Bui Hoang Viet Anh sent a perfect volley into the middle of the Iraqi net, from striker Khuat Van Khang’s free-kick.

Vietnam, however, suffered a setback just before the half time whistle when Khuat Van Khang collected a second caution.

Determined to take advantage of the situation, Iraq began the second half with forwards Ali Jasim and Aymen Hussein replacing Bashar Rasan and Ahmed Abas respectively.

The 2007 AFC Asian Cup champions were rewarded almost instantly as Jasim wasted no time in helping the Lions of Mesopotamia back into the game when his corner kick two minutes into the second half was headed into the Vietnamese goal by Solaka, earning the defender his first international goal.

Rejuvenated by the equaliser, Iraq continued to apply pressure and got their second in the 72nd minute when Husein received a beautiful cross from Jasim and made no mistake in heading the ball past Vietnamese goalkeeper Filip Nguyen for his fourth goal of the campaign.

With less than 10 minutes left on the clock, Iraq had another golden opportunity to further their lead when Bui Hoang Viet Anh’s tackle gifted the West Asians a penalty but the talismanic Hussein saw his spot-kick being denied by the woodwork.

However, Vietnam restored parity through substitute Ngyuen Quang Hai in the first minute of stoppage time but a last minute penalty conceded by Vo Minh Trong saw Hussein score Iraq’s winner.

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Group D: Hussein double keeps Iraq perfect

Doha: Aymen Hussein came off the bench to score twice as Iraq defeated Vietnam 3-2 in Group D of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ on Wednesday.
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Malaysia scored deep into added time to hold Korea Republic 3-3 in their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Group E clash at the Al Janoub Stadium on Thursday.

The result meant Korea Republic finished second behind Bahrain, who edged Jordan 1-0 in the other match.

For Malaysia, the result meant ending their campaign on a high note after having suffered defeats to Jordan and Bahrain.

Both teams made changes to their respective defences with Lee Ki-je and Matthew Davies out injured, with Korea Republic giving first starts to Kim Tae-hwan, Jeong Woo-yeong and Kim Young-gwon for the Koreans, while Daniel Ting and Brendan Gan were in the Malaysian lineup.

Despite dominating possession from the first blow of the whistle, Korea Republic took 15 minutes to register their first shot on target, with captain Son Heung-min weaving his way into the penalty box but his shot was tipped over the bar by Syihan Hazmi.

The Koreans took the lead five minutes later as Jeong rose highest to nod home from a corner kick. Malaysian custodian Syihan looked to have clawed the ball out but a VAR check determined that the ball had already crossed the line.

Holding the lead and with Malaysia content to defend deep, the Taeguk Warriors took the pace out of the game with controlled possession for the rest of the half with Cho Gue-sung’s header two minutes from half time the only time they came close to doubling their advantage.

Despite Korea Republic starting on the front foot, Malaysia equalised six minutes into the second half when Darren Lok stole the ball off Hwang In-beom. Arif Aiman’s initial shot was blocked but Faisal Halim got on the rebound and despite being forced wide, scored from an acute angle into the far bottom corner.

Malaysia took the lead two minutes shy of the hour mark after VAR check confirmed Seol Young-woo’s foul on Arif in the penalty box, with the Johor Darul Ta’zim player stepping up to tuck away the ensuing penalty.

Korea Republic threw on Hwang Hee-chan into the mix and the Wolverhampton Wanderers player almost restored parity in the 66th minute but saw his fierce volley from the edge of the box turned away for a corner kick.

The Korean onslaught came to fruition second minutes from the end when Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in produced a wonderful free-kick that Syihan managed to get his hand to but was unable to keep it out of the net.

Jurgen Klinsmann's side thought they had won the game in the second minute of stoppage time when Junior Eldstal’s foul on Oh Hyeon-gyu was picked up by a VAR review and Son converted the spot-kick.

However, Malaysia capped a wonderful performance when substitute Romel Morales struck at the very end of stoppage time, sending the straight into the bottom corner to snatch a deserved point for his side.

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Group E: Malaysia fight back to hold Korea Republic

Al Wakrah: Malaysia scored deep into added time to hold Korea Republic 3-3 in their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Group E clash at the Al Janoub Stadium on Thursday.
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Abdulla Yusuf hit the only goal of the game as Bahrain handed Jordan a 1-0 defeat at the Khalifa International Stadium on Thursday to take Juan Antonio Pizzi’s side into the last 16 of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 as winners of Group E.

Yusuf struck 11 minutes before halftime to earn the Bahrainis their second win in three games and, with six points, they topped the standings ahead of Korea Republic and the Jordanians, who have also qualified.

The result means Bahrain will face four-time champions Japan in the next round while Jordan have progressed as one of the best-third placed teams and will find out their opponents later on Thursday.

The Jordanians were on top of the group going into the game but striker Mousa Al Tamari started on the bench as Lhoussanine Ammouta made five changes to the team that earned a 2-2 draw with Korea Republic in their previous game.

Anas Bani-yaseen pulled his 14th minute effort wide of Ebrahim Lutfalla’s goal before Bahrain midfielder Mohamed Maroon hit a looping attempt that was comfortably gathered by Yazeen Abulaila in a tentative opening quarter of an hour.

Yazeen Al Naimat went closer still for the Jordanians with a snap shot that flashed across the face of goal moments later.

It took until the 34th minute for the deadlock to be broken, with the Bahrainis doing so in style.

Yusuf timed his run from the halfway line to perfection, latching on to Komail Al Aswad’s pass through the middle to bear down on goal before stroking a right foot shot into the bottom corner of Abulaila’s goal.

Four minutes later the Mlada Boleslav striker was released again behind the Jordanian defence but, while Bani-yaseen initially recovered, possession found its way through to Marhoon, who somehow chopped his shot over the bar from inside the six yard box.

The Bahrainis came out in the second half looking to add to their lead, with Ali Madan shooting over the bar and Marhoon narrowly beaten to another lofted pass over the top of the Jordanian defence by the alert Abulaila, who thumped the ball to safety.

Jordan rarely threatened, with Ali Olwan going closest when he headed into Lutfalla’s hands on the hour mark, while Abulaila was on hand again in the dying moments to keep out Yusuf’s free kick as Bahrain took the points.

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Group E: Bahrain edge Jordan to finish top

Doha: Abdulla Yusuf hit the only goal of the game as Bahrain handed Jordan a 1-0 defeat at the Khalifa International Stadium on Thursday to take Juan Antonio Pizzi’s side into the last 16 of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ as winners of Group E.
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Al Rayyan: Al Rayyan: Saudi Arabia and Thailand shared the spoils in a 0-0 draw in their final match of Group F of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ at Education City Stadium on Thursday.

The result, coupled with Oman’s 1-1 draw against Kyrgyz Republic in the other Group F match, meant the Green Falcons confirmed the top spot in the group and Thailand finished second, while Oman’s two points were not enough for them to advance as one of the best-ranked third-placed teams.

Head coach Roberto Mancini made nine changes to the Saudi Arabia starting XI that beat Kyrgyz Republic 2-0 in the previous match, including a debut for goalkeeper Raghed Najjar.

Saudi Arabia had a golden opportunity to take the lead inside the opening 10 minutes when defender Suphan Thongsong pushed Abdulrahman Ghareeb inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot following a VAR review. Young striker Abdullah Radif stepped up, but his effort from the penalty was denied by goalkeeper Saranon Anuin.

A few minutes later, Thailand thought they had opened the scoring when Teerasak Poeiphimai’s diving header beat goalkeeper Raghed Najjar, but the forward was deemed offside. A similar incident at the other end saw a Radif goal chalked off for offside just seconds later.

Salem Al Dawsari tested Anuin with a long-range strike midway through the opening period, but the Thai goalkeeper was alert to the threat and made the save.

For the third time in the game, the ball found the back of the net only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside, this time, with 10 minutes left in the first half, it was Thailand’s Worachit Kanitsribampen who strayed beyond the last defender.

Saudi Arabia ramped up the pressure after the restart with Ghareeb the liveliest on the pitch, breaking into the Thai penalty box on a couple of occasions and firing from distance only to be denied by Anuin.

Thailand’s biggest chance of the second half came through Jaroensak Wonggorn who cut inside from the right flank and looked to curl an effort from the edge of the area, but his shot missed the Saudi goal.

Saudi Arabia’s Talal Haji made history after coming in as a second-half substitute at the age of 16 years and 131 days, becoming the second youngest player to appear at the AFC Asian Cup after Syria’s Munaf Ramadan (16 years and 45 days v Saudi Arabia in 1988). He nearly marked his continental debut with a goal when he met Nasser Al Dawsari’s cross with a towering header from close-range but was denied by the Thai goalkeeper.

Despite a flurry of half-chances at both ends, neither side was able to break the deadlock, with Thailand remaining one of two teams not to concede a goal in the group stage alongside Qatar, while Saudi Arabia’s record of never finishing a group stage with the full nine points extends for yet another tournament.
 
Doha: Kyrgyz Republic and Oman made their respective exits from the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ after playing to a 1-1 draw in their final Group F tie at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Thursday.

A late goal from Kyrgyz Republic’s Joel Kojo cancelled out Muhsen Al Ghassani's opener with Indonesia the biggest winners as the Southeast Asian side advanced to the Round of 16 as one of the best four third-placed finishers.

Needing a win to confirm their knockout stage spot, Oman settled quickly and went ahead in the eighth minute through Al Ghassani.

Kyrgyz Republic goalkeeper Erzhan Tokotaev could only parry Jameel Al Yahmadi's free-kick, with Al Ghassani taking advantage of the ensuing chaos to slot the ball home.

Boosted by the goal, Oman took a firm grip on proceedings with Kyrgyz Republic having to work hard to not concede again.


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Group F: Stalemate eliminates Kyrgyz Republic, Oman

Doha: Kyrgyz Republic and Oman made their respective exits from the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ after playing to a 1-1 draw in their final Group F tie at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Thursday.
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Australia moved through to the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 on Sunday as Jackson Irvine’s deflected effort and a diving header from Martin Boyle sent the Socceroos on their way to a 4-0 win over Indonesia at Jassim bin Hamid Stadium.

Graham Arnold’s side will take on either Saudi Arabia or Korea Republic next Friday with a place in the semi-finals at stake as the Australians look to claim a second AFC Asian Cup title after previously winning on home soil in 2015.

The Australians took the lead in the 12th minute after Irvine’s shot went in off Elkan Baggott before doubling their advantage in the final minute of the half when Boyle threw himself at Gethin Jones’ cross from the right.

Craig Goodwin added the third a minute from time with a well-struck volley and, little more than two minutes later, Harry Souttar headed in Australia’s fourth.

Boyle’s goal gave the Australians the cushion needed to see off an opponent that refused to be overawed despite the gap between the teams in the FIFA rankings, with Shin Tae-yong’s side rated 121 places behind the Socceroos but showing few signs that such a gulf existed.

By the sixth minute they had carved out a sight of goal, Rafael Struick looping his first-time shot from close-range over the bar after a period of possession had culminated in Justin Hubner’s driving in his cross from the left.

So it was unfortunate when Team Garuda went behind in the 12th minute following Irvine’s burst into the penalty area, the midfielder shrugging off Shayne Pattynama’s challenge before hitting a shot that took a deflection off Baggott to beat Ernando Ari at his near post.

Six minutes from the break Hubner fed Marselino Ferdinan down the right and his cross arced towards the far side of the penalty area, from where Yakob Sayuri smashed his first-time volley wide of the target.

However, the Socceroos delivered a sucker punch to Indonesia’s hopes in the 45th minute, Jones sending over a low cross from the right that bounced inside the six-yard box and Boyle threw himself forward headfirst to power the ball in.

Indonesia continued to push in an effort to give their indefatigable fans hope but the result was put beyond doubt a minute from time when Goodwin volleyed in having seen Ernando parried his save of Irvine’s header into the substitute’s path.

Goodwin then turned provider two minutes later, setting up Souttar to glance his close-range header home.

AFC

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R16: Australia power past Indonesia

Doha: Australia moved through to the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ on Sunday as Jackson Irvine’s deflected effort and a diving header from Martin Boyle sent the Socceroos on their way to a 4-0 win over Indonesia at Jassim bin Hamid Stadium.
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Al Rayyan: Tajikistan advanced to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ quarter-finals after a hard-fought 5-3 penalty shootout win over United Arab Emirates on Sunday.

The match was forced into an additional 30 minutes after UAE's Khalifa Al Hammadi scored in the fifth minute of second half added time to cancel out Vahdat Hanonov’s opener at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.

Goalkeeper Rustam Yatimov was Tajikistan’s hero, judging correctly to deny Caio Canedo’s penalty when the shootout was tied 1-1 as the Central Asian side extended their debut campaign to the quarter-finals, with either Iraq or Jordan their next opponents.

Both teams showed plenty of attacking intent right from the onset with UAE having the first sights at goal. The chance came within the opening minute as Fabio Lima’s free-kick was palmed away by Tajik goalkeeper Yatimov, followed by striker Canedo’s attempt from outside the box that sailed too high five minutes later.

However, it was Tajikistan who opened the scoring after defender Zoir Dzhuraboev’s inch perfect cross was headed into the bottom left corner of the UAE goal by Hanonov just as the match hit the half-hour mark.

UAE almost responded immediately with Zayed Sultan’s right-footed attempt from the centre of the Tajikistan box forcing Yatimov into making a diving save.

The Emiratis spent the rest of the first half continuing to make forays into the Tajik penalty area, with charges from the likes of Canedo, Lima and Yahya Al Ghassani, but failed to find a way through.

The second half began in similar fashion with both teams maintaining their offensive mindset but it was once again the tournament debutants who came close to doubling their lead with Ehson Panjshabe and Alisher Dzhalilov forcing saves out of UAE captain Khalid Eisa.

Tajikistan should have gone further ahead in the 60th minute when Parvizdzhon Umarbayev’s through ball found Dzhalilov just outside the box, but the Istiklol midfielder shot straight at Eisa.

Dzhalilov had another great chance 10 minutes later when Shahrom Samiev sped down the right flank before floating a beautiful cross but the number 10 wasted the golden opportunity by sending the ball wide.

The missed chances cost Tajikistan as UAE equalised right at the end, with defender Al Hammadi rising high to nod home Ali Saleh’s free-kick in the fifth minute of added time, taking the game to an additional 30 minutes.

Neither side looked eager to take risks in added time with Yatimov producing the only save of the shootout to ensure Tajikistan's dream campaign continued.
 
Jordan showed amazing resilience to come from behind to defeat Iraq 3-2 in their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Round of 16 tie at the Khalifa International Stadium on Monday.

Down 2-1 after having taken the lead, stoppage time goals from Yazan Al Arab and Nizar Al Rashdan pushed Jordan over the finishing line in a hugely exciting tie that had seen Iraq reduced to 10 players after having taken the lead, with Aymen Hussein sent off after netting their second goal.

Jordan will play Tajikistan in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Head coach Jesus Casas made nine changes to the Iraqi starting 11 that defeated Vietnam 3-2 on Matchday Three of the group stage, with 10 of the players who were in the team that featured in the 2-1 win over Japan, returning to the fold.

The 2007 AFC Asian Cup winners wasted little time in asserting their authority with Ahmed Al Hajjaj just failing to reach Ali Jasim’s corner in the second minute.

Jordan, however, began to find their footing and threatened in the 11th minute with Yazan Al Naimat’s ambitious long range effort sailing over the bar, while Iraq’s Youssef Amyn wasted another chance off a set-piece situation four minutes later.

The action was thick and fast with Iraq keeper Jalal Hassan forced to come outside his area in the 18th minute to foil Yazan Al Naimat’s attempt with Ali Olwan hitting wide on the follow up. The duo threatened again a minute later, forcing Hassan into a diving save.

Jordan looked dangerous when counter attacking and came close again just before the half-hour mark with Olwan cutting through the defence courtesy of a Ehsan Haddad through ball, only to be foiled by the agile Hassan.

Jordan put Iraq under pressure again in the 38th minute when Mousa Tamari weaved his way into the box past three defenders before being foiled by Hassan but their persistence finally paid off in the closing stages of the half.

Al Naimat pounced on a poor back pass by Ahmed Al Hajjaj before waltzing through the Jordan defence to finish with a sublime effort past a helpless Hassan.

Iraq were far from disheartened and took immediate control of the proceedings when the second half kicked off and almost found their way through in the 56th minute with Hussein Ali Haidar bringing out the best from Jordan custodian Yazeed Abulaila, who later blocked Ali Jasim’s effort from inside the box.

A lapse in concentration then gave Iraq the opportunity to draw level in the 68th minute when Suad Natiq rose highest to nod home Jassim’s corner.

A stunned Jordan then fell behind in the 76th minute when Hussein pounced on a poor clearance from inside the six-yard-box before drilling his effort into the bottom left corner of the net.

Iraq’s celebrations, however, were short lived as Hussein received his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card in the aftermath of the goal.

With a one man advantage, Jordan refused to give up and drew level in the sixth minute of added time with Al Arab scoring off a rebound after Hassan saved Tamari’s initial effort.

They were, however, not done yet as Al Rashdan (pictured above) scored the winner a minute later with a beautiful effort from just outside the area as Jordan advanced to the quarter-finals and Iraq were left heartbroken.

AFC

www.the-afc.com

R16: Jordan fight back to beat Iraq in thriller

Doha: Jordan showed amazing resilience to come from behind to defeat Iraq 3-2 in their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Round of 16 tie at the Khalifa International Stadium on Monday.
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Al Khor: Defending champions Qatar booked their place in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ quarter-finals with a 2-1 comeback win over Palestine at Al Bayt Stadium on Monday.

With the win, the host nation are set to return to Al Bayt Stadium to face the winners of the Uzbekistan and Thailand last 16 tie on Saturday, while Palestine’s journey ends after a historic first knockout stage appearance and six goals scored, having previously only ever netted one AFC Asian Cup goal in six matches across the 2015 and 2019 editions.

After a cagey start to the game, the first challenge for Meshal Barsham came in the 19th minute when Amid Mahajna tried his luck from 25 yards out, but the Qatari goalkeeper made a fine diving save.

Barsham was called into action again minutes later when Mahmoud Abu Warda moved into the free space down the left flank and met Zeid Qunbar’s lay-off with the outside of his left boot, but once more the Qatar keeper was able to make the save.

It was third time lucky for the Palestinians when Oday Dabbagh took matters into his own hands, embarking on a mazy solo run and making his way past two Qatari defenders before aiming for and finding the bottom corner of the goal to open the scoring with his third AFC Asian Cup goal eight minutes before the break.

Dabbagh’s strike was the first goal Qatar conceded in the tournament, and only the second in the AFC Asian Cup since 2015.



www.the-afc.com

R16: Qatar stand firm to end Palestine's run

Al Khor: Defending champions Qatar booked their place in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ quarter-finals with a 2-1 comeback win over Palestine at Al Bayt Stadium on Monday.
www.the-afc.com www.the-afc.com
 
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Uzbekistan beat Thailand 2-1 in their Asian Cup last-16 tie with a second-half winner from Abbosbek Fayzullayev at Al Janoub Stadium on Tuesday to set up a quarter-final clash with hosts and defending champions Qatar.

Thailand were looking to beat Uzbekistan for the first time since 2007 but the central Asian nation scored two stellar goals to deny Masatada Ishii's side.

Uzbekistan took the lead in the first half when Diyor Holmatov lobbed a cross-field ball into the box to Azizbek Turgunboev, who expertly controlled the pass with his chest before volleying it past Patiwat Khammai in Thailand's goal.

But Thailand equalised just before the hour mark when Supachok Sarachat pulled the trigger from more than 25 yards out, with his low shot curling past Uzbekistan keeper Utkir Yusupov who did not react in time to make the save.

However, Uzbekistan restored their lead seven minutes later through Abbosbek Fayzullaev when the winger quickly turned his defender and fired from the edge of the box, directing a low shot that squeezed past the keeper and into the net.

Uzbekistan will be looking to reach the semi-finals for only the second time when they take on Qatar on Saturday at Al Bayt Stadium.

Source: BeIN Sports
 
Al Rayyan: Jo Hyeon-woo was the hero as Korea Republic progressed to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ quarter-finals on Tuesday with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win over Saudi Arabia at Education City Stadium after the teams shared a 1-1 draw at the end of extra-time.

Jo saved attempts from Sami Al Naji and Abdulrahman Ghareeb in the third and fourth rounds of spot-kicks to leave Hwang Hee-chan to smash the winning penalty into the top corner and set up a meeting with Australia at Al Janoub Stadium on Friday.

The game went to penalties after Abdullah Radif had given the Saudis the lead less than a minute into the second half but Cho Gue-sung levelled nine minutes into injury time with a header to take proceedings into extra-time as Korean desperation to equalise paid off.

With an additional 30 minutes unable to separate the teams, Hwang hit the decisive penalty after Jo’s pair of saves left the crestfallen Saudis to wait for another three years to reclaim the title they last won in 1996.

A frantic end to normal time contrasted with the cagey opening that featured few opportunities, and so tight were the margins throughout the first 45 minutes that mistakes or set pieces represented the most likely way through for both teams.

Mohammed Al Burayk’s 41st minute corner was headed against the post by Saleh Al Shehri with the ball coming back off the frame for Ali Lajami to thump his attempt onto the crossbar before Salem Al Dawsari saw his header feathered wide by the fingertips of Jo.

The Taeguk Warriors’ fortune was to desert them seconds after the restart as Mancini’s decision to replace the largely ineffective Al Shehri with Radif paid off immediately.

Less than 30 seconds into the half Al Burayk’s pass inside from the left to Al Dawsari was deftly cushioned into Radif’s path by the Al Hilal playmaker and the substitute took one touch to control before shooting successfully across Jo to the delight of the Saudi fans.

The Koreans, desperate to keep alive their quest for their first AFC Asian Cup in 64 years, threw everything forward in the dying minutes and their determination eventually paid off.

Ahmed Al Kassar twice denied Seol Young-woo and Hassan Al Tambakhti kept out Son Heung-min’s goal-bound attempt before Cho injury time header came back off the crossbar.

Under the weight of Korean persistence the Saudi resistance finally broke when Cho headed in from close range in the ninth of 10 minutes added on at the end of the game, after Seol Young-woo nodded the ball back across the face of goal.

The Koreans looked the more likely to score in extra-time, but Kim Min-jae’s header was beaten to safety by Al Kassar eight minutes into the first period and Cho squandered a clear opening when he laid the ball off rather than shoot with the Saudi goalkeeper stranded.

Al Kassar then threw himself to his left to keep out Lee Kang-in’s goal-bound 115th minute strike and, after the game moved into a shoot-out after Jo denied Radif’s late effort, the Koreans eventually emerged triumphant.
 
Four-time champions Japan moved into the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 on Wednesday as goals from Ritsu Doan, Takefusa Kubo and Ayase Ueda earned the Samurai Blue a 3-1 win over Bahrain at Al Thumama Stadium.

Hajime Moriyasu’s side will meet either the Islamic Republic of Iran or Syria in the last eight on Saturday after a largely accomplished performance, with the victory coming despite a wobble midway through the second half when Ueda headed the ball into his own net.

Doan put the Japanese in front in the 31st minute and Kubo doubled the lead three minutes into the second half before a 64th minute mix-up between Ueda and Zion Suzuki allowed Bahrain to halve the deficit. Ueda struck eight minutes later to restore the two-goal cushion.

The own goal was a rare moment of uncertainty for a Japan side that first forced Bahrain goalkeeper Ebrahim Lutfalla into action in the ninth minute, tipping Ueda’s header over the bar after the forward’s movement saw him find the space to power Kubo’s corner goalward.

Ali Madan brought a comfortable save out of Suzuki in a rare sortie forward for the Bahrainis, his shot from the edge of the area following a counterattack causing the Sint-Truiden goalkeeper few issues.

But just after the half hour mark the Japanese took the lead. Seiya Maikuma moved into space 25 yards from goal and unleashed a shot that beat Lutfalla before coming back off the post to Doan, who took a touch to control and then stroked home.

Ko Itakura headed Kubo’s free kick into the penalty area wide of Lutfalla’s left post two minutes into the second half as the Japanese made a strong start to the second half and, a minute later, they doubled their advantage due to the quick thinking Kubo.

The Real Sociedad midfielder had won possession 25 yards from goal prior to playing towards Ueda and, while the striker let possession roll beyond him, Hazza Ali steered the ball towards his own goal and onto the toe of Kubo, who slotted past Lutfalla.

Referee Ahmad Al Ali initially blew his whistle for offside before being called to the pitch-side monitor and awarding the goal on review.

The Japanese were cruising until Suzuki and Ueda clashed on their own line to steer Sayed Baqer’s header into the goal in the 64th minute to bring the Bahraini fans among the crowd back to life.

The hopes of Juan Antonio Pizzi’s side were to last only eight minutes, however, as Ueda’s burst of pace took him clear inside the Bahrain penalty area and his assured finish flew through the legs of Lutfalla to guarantee Japan’s progress.

AFC

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R16: Japan cruise past Bahrain

Doha: Four-time champions Japan moved into the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ on Wednesday as goals from Ritsu Doan, Takefusa Kubo and Ayase Ueda earned the Samurai Blue a 3-1 win over Bahrain at Al Thumama Stadium.
www.the-afc.com www.the-afc.com
 
Doha: Islamic Republic of Iran advanced to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ quarter-finals after overcoming Syria 5-3 on penalties at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on Wednesday after the two teams played out a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time.

Goals from the spot from Mehdi Taremi and Omar Khrbin either side of the halftime break meant the two sides were level after 90 minutes and there was nothing to separate them after extra time before Alireza Beiranvand helped his side settle the tie on penalties.

Team Melli had their first big chance of the game after just eight minutes when Alireza Jahanbakhsh fed Sardar Azmoun inside the box. The AS Roma forward’s first-time shot was parried by goalkeeper Ahmed Madanieh, but the ball was spilled back for Azmoun who hit it on the half-volley with his left but skied it on the rebound.

Madanieh showed his quality again with a fine diving save in the 25th minute to tip away Mehdi Ghayedi’s strike from outside the box for a corner kick that nearly produced a goal when the ball found its way to IR Iran captain Ehsan Hajsafi who hit it from the edge of the box, but was also denied by the Syrian goalkeeper.

The Syrian goalkeeper’s resilience was finally broken 10 minutes before the break when Mehdi Taremi stepped up and sent Madanieh the wrong way from the penalty spot for his third goal of the campaign and IR Iran’s opener.

The first test for goalkeeper Beiranvand came just six minutes before the end of the first half when left-back Mouaiad Al Ajjan carried the ball forward and hit an effort from outside the box that the Iranian goalkeeper dealt with confidently.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei’s men thought they had doubled their lead seven minutes after the restart when Ramin Rezaeian’s corner was headed by Azmoun past the Syrian goalkeeper, only for Abdulrahman Weiss to clear it off the goal line.

Substitute Pablo Sabbag made an instant impact for Syria after coming off the bench just before the hour mark, with his very first touch of the ball, he moved behind the Iranian defence and looked to round the goalkeeper who brought him down conceding a penalty. Khrbin stepped up and coolly slotted home past Beiranvand to equalise for the Eagles of Qasioun.

IR Iran suffered a big blow in added time of the second half when Taremi was sent-off for a second bookable offence, leaving his side with ten men going into the 30 minutes of extra time.

Two periods of intense action in the middle of the pitch with clear cut chances in sparse supply saw the two teams head into the penalty shootout at the end of 120 minutes.

Karim Ansarifard scored, Rezaeian, Omid Ebrahimi, Mehdi Torabi and Ehsan Hajsafi scored for Iran, while Beiranvand’s save from Fahd Youssef was the decisive moment, earning Team Melli a place in the AFC Asian Cup quarter-finals for the eighth time in a row.
 
Its getting closer now, who's gonna win the Asian Cup?

3LSiBpa.jpeg
 
Asian Cup 2024 Quarter-Final

Jordan edged Asian Cup debutants Tajikistan 1-0 to move into the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time thanks to a second-half own goal at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium on Friday.

The two teams had drawn a World Cup qualifier in November but it was Jordan who came out on top when Vahdat Hanonov put the ball into his own net from a set piece, ending Tajikistan's dream run in Qatar.

In a goalless opening half, Ehson Panjshanbe came closest to scoring for Tajikistan when his effort hit the bar while Jordan forward Yazan Al-Naimat failed to convert two difficult chances to break the deadlock.

But Jordan finally found the breakthrough from a corner in the 66th minute when Abdallah Nasib's header went in via a deflection off the chest of Hanonov -- their goalscorer from their last-16 win over the United Arab Emirates.

Tajikistan tried their best to score an equaliser, with Alisher Shukurov coming close when he tested keeper Yazeed Abulaila from distance with an effort that stung his palms, but Jordan managed to hold on for a famous victory.

Hussein Ammouta's side will next play either 2015 champions Australia or South Korea in the first semi-final on Tuesday.

Source: beIN Sports
 
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Son Heung-min scored a brilliant extra-time free-kick to send South Korea to the Asian Cup semi-finals, having been seconds away from losing to Australia.

Australia had looked set for victory thanks to Craig Goodwin's volley from Nathaniel Atkinson's cross.

But Son was fouled by Lewis Miller and Hwang Hee-chan's 96th-minute penalty sent the game to extra time.

Tottenham's Son was the difference in the added 30 minutes, as he curled a free-kick past Mat Ryan in Qatar.

Australia ended with 10 men after Aiden O'Neill was sent off by the video assistant referee for a dangerous foul.

South Korea, who last won the Asian Cup in 1960, were on the brink of elimination for the second round in a row.

In the last 16, Cho Gue-sung's 99th-minute equaliser denied Saudi Arabia with the Koreans winning on penalties.

This win could help relieve some pressure on Jurgen Klinsmann, who was appointed a year ago and is unpopular with the Korean fans.

Graham Arnold's Australia squandered several good chances to double their lead, and potentially wrap up the game, with Martin Boyle being denied by a fine Cho Hyun-woo double save and Mitchell Duke missing two good chances.

Jordan will be South Korea's opponents in Tuesday's semi-final after a 1-0 win over Asian Cup debutants Tajikistan.

Earlier on Friday, Jordan made history as they reached the semi-finals for the first time. Vahdat Hanonov's own goal, as Abdallah Nasib's header went in off his chest, saw off surprise package Tajikistan.

Iran face Japan and hosts Qatar play Uzbekistan in Saturday's other two quarter-finals.
 
A late Alireza Jahanbakhsh penalty was the difference as Islamic Republic of Iran came from behind to defeat Japan 2-1 and book their place in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 semi-finals on Saturday.

The two teams had met in the semi-finals of the previous edition, with Japan emerging 3-0 winners and they looked on course to repeat the win when they took the lead before the half-hour mark, but two second-half goals from Mohammad Mohebi and Jahanbakhsh turned things around for the Iranians at Education City Stadium.

Captaining Team Melli on the day in the absence of Ehsan Hajsafi, Jahanbakhsh nearly opened the Iranians’ account in the 13th minute when he picked up Saeid Ezatolahi’s pass down the left flank and curled a shot that nearly caught goalkeeper Zion Suzuki off-guard, but fizzed just over the crossbar.

The first test for Suzuki came after 18 minutes when Hidemasa Morita lost possession on the edge of the Japanese penalty box, allowing Ezatolahli to control the ball and hit with his left, but his shot was too central and the Japanese goalkeeper had no problems in dealing with it.

Morita more than made up for his mistake 10 minutes later. The central midfielder embarked on a solo run to beat three Iranian defenders and arrive into the box before drilling an effort that made its way into the back of the net despite goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand’s best efforts to make the save.

Iran’s biggest chance to equalise before the break was a Saman Ghoddos half-volley after he controlled the ball with his chest, but the Brentford midfielder narrowly missed the target.

Nine minutes after the restart, Team Melli were able to restore parity after a long pass from Suzuki was interrupted and the ball fell to Sardar Azmoun who supplied a through pass to Mohebi. The forward was left with just the goalkeeper to beat and coolly slotted into the bottom corner for the equaliser.

Iran thought they had completed their comeback in the 64th minute when Azmoun latched onto a long ball, dribbling expertly past two defenders and powering past Suzuki into the near post, but the AS Roma forward had strayed marginally offside and the goal was overruled.

The Japanese goalkeeper was called into action again to stop a spectacular Ezatolahi volley from the edge of the box and confidently produced the required save with just six minutes left to the end of 90.

Deep into four minutes of added time, Iran got a golden chance to win the game when Ko Itakura brought Hussein Kanaani down inside the box.

Jahanbakhsh stepped up and emphatically dispatched it into the top corner to earn coach Amir Ghalenoei’s side the all-important victory.

AFC

Jahanbakhsh strikes late penalty to take IR Iran past Japan

Al Rayyan: A late Alireza Jahanbakhsh penalty was the difference as Islamic Republic of Iran came from behind to defeat Japan 2-1 and book their place in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ semi-finals on Saturday.
www.the-afc.com www.the-afc.com
 
Why does Australia play in AFC? They are not in Asia.

Aussies should play in OFC (where they belong).
 
sweep_shot said:
Why does Australia play in AFC? They are not in Asia.

Aussies should play in OFC (where they belong).
Click to expand...
They wanted to play more competitive matches at international level and they wanted to have better chance to qualify for the World Cup, this is why they asked to be a member of AFC in 2006.
 
hassan918 said:
They wanted to play more competitive matches at international level and they wanted to have better chance to qualify for the World Cup, this is why they asked to be a member of AFC in 2006.
Click to expand...

I know but that's not fair for other Asian teams. Australia is stealing one spot which could've gone to another genuine Asian team.

Australia also qualify for World Cup through AFC which again is not fair for other teams.
 
Which two teams do you guys think would play in the FINAL?

Sol8XMr.jpeg
 
sweep_shot said:
Why does Australia play in AFC? They are not in Asia.

Aussies should play in OFC (where they belong).
Click to expand...
If they go back to OFC their road to WC Qualification will become even more easier than before. Since the expansion of FIFA WC to 48 teams, one OFC team has fixed slot and there is hardly any other team in OFC to challenge Australia.
 
1707239685950.png

Mousa Tamari scored a brilliant curling strike to stun two-time winners South Korea and send Jordan to their first Asian Cup final.

Yazan Al-Naimat put Jordan ahead at the start of the second half with a clever dink, before Tamari doubled their lead with a superb solo effort.

Jordan had never gone beyond the quarter-finals before this year's tournament.

They will face hosts Qatar or Iran in Saturday's final.

With Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae absent through suspension, South Korea's defence struggled to cope with a high-pressing Jordan side in the opening half.

Son Heung-min found the back of the net with a clever chip over Yazeed Abulaila, but the Tottenham forward had mistimed his run into the box and the goal was quickly ruled out for offside.

South Korea grew into the game and were awarded a penalty in the 29th minute when Yazan al-Arab was judged to have brought down Seol Young-woo in the area.

However, the video assistant referee intervened to show it was Seol who had committed the foul and the decision was overturned.

Jurgen Klinsmann's side were undone early in the second half when Kim Young-gwon's sloppy pass was pounced upon by Tamari and played into Al-Naimat, who calmly dinked it over South Korea keeper Jo Hyeon-woo.

Tamari doubled the Jordanians' lead 13 minutes later when he cut in from the right and dribbled past a host of South Korea defenders before passing a low curling strike into the bottom corner of the net.

South Korea, who last won the Asian Cup in 1960, had made it into the last four by scoring stoppage-time goals, but they were unable to find quality in the dying moments this time at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.

The defeat will see attention fall on manager Klinsmann, who was appointed a year ago and is unpopular with some Korean fans.
 
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