Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Dhaka: Syria stormed to the top of the Group E standings with a 4-0 victory over hosts Bangladesh in their opening match of the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers on Friday.
Omar Kharbin silenced the home crowd at the Bangabandhu National Stadium when he put the Syrians one up with just five minutes gone and after Mahmood Al Baher had doubled the advantage on the quarter-of-an-hour mark midfielder Kharbin grabbed his second and Syria’s third from the penalty spot two minutes into first-half stoppage time.
Mahmoud Al Mawas scored the fourth and final goal of the game with nine minutes left on the clock to cap the win that took Syria to the top of the Group E standings ahead of Uzbekistan on goal difference following the Central Asians’ 2-0 victory over India in the earlier match at the same venue.
Ten group winners and five best second-placed teams from all groups will join hosts Qatar at the AFC U-23 Championship 2016, with January’s 16-team competition also serving as Asia’s qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio.