#AFCU20 - Group Stage in Numbers

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

#AFCU20 - Group Stage in Numbers

Shenzhen: After nine days of thrilling action and 75 goals scored, just eight teams remain in the battle for the coveted AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025 title.

Join us at the-AFC.com as we dive into some of the standout stats from the group stage.

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Poyet happy as Jeonbuk achieve double target

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

Poyet happy as Jeonbuk achieve double target

Jeonju: Head coach Gustavo Poyet was pleased with the performance of his fringe players as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC cruised into the AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25 quarter-finals on Thursday. 

Leading 4-0 after the first leg, Poyet opted to field players he wanted to assess as Park Jae-yong’s fifth minute goal saw Jeonbuk defeat Thailand’s Port FC 1-0 on the night and 5-0 on aggregate to set up a last eight meeting with Australia’s Sydney FC. 

Rankovic: Sailors ready to compete with the best

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

Rankovic: Sailors ready to compete with the best

Singapore: Aleksandar Rankovic has warned that Lion City Sailors FC are ready to challenge the best after the Singapore side advanced to the AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25 quarter-finals in emphatic fashion on Thursday.

Leading 3-2 from the first leg, Sailors produced a scintillating performance to defeat Thailand’s Muangthong United 4-0 in the return leg of their Round of 16 tie with Rankovic confidently targeting an extended run, with Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima up next for his side.

Tanaka on the double as Japan beat Australia

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

Tanaka on the double as Japan beat Australia

Miami: Mina Tanaka struck twice as Japan defeated Australia in a 4-0 win in the opening game of the SheBelieves Cup in Houston on Thursday, giving new head coach Nils Nielsen the perfect start.

Japan dominated from the outset, taking the lead in the sixth minute when a low shot from Fuka Nagano was directed into the bottom corner by Tanaka.

Lee challenges Korea Republic to maintain intensity

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

Lee challenges Korea Republic to maintain intensity

Shenzhen: Korea Republic head coach Lee Chang-won expects more of the same intensity his side showed in their Group D tie against Japan in the quarter-finals of the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025.

Trailing to Soma Kanda’s first half strike, Korea Republic kept pushing and were rewarded with a stoppage time strike from substitute Kim Tae-won to force the draw and finish as the Group D winners, with defending champions Uzbekistan their next opponents.

Syria’s Mohammad disappointed; Pereira proud of his Thai squad

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

Syria’s Mohammad disappointed; Pereira proud of his Thai squad

Shenzhen: Syria and Thailand bid goodbye to the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025 when they exited with a thrilling 2-2 draw that went down to the wire on Thursday.

While the Group D match had its moments in the first half, it sprung to life after the break when 10-man Thailand came back from a two-goal deficit in a 10-minute span courtesy of Thanawut Phochai’s brace.

Goals from Ahmad Al Kalou and Mohammad Al Mustafa saw the West Asians take the lead to ultimately finish third while Thailand closed their campaign at the bottom. 

R16: Sailors power past Muangthong

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

R16: Sailors power past Muangthong

Singapore: Lion City Sailors recorded a 4-0 win over Muangthong United at Jalan Besar Stadium on Thursday to book their place in the last eight of the AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25 with a 7-2 aggregate victory over the Thai side.

Holding a narrow 3-2 lead after a thrilling first leg last week in Bangkok, two goals from Shawal Anuar and further strikes by Maxime Lestienne and Bart Ramselaar took the Singapore Premier League side into the next round.

R16: Jeonbuk stay firmly on track

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

R16: Jeonbuk stay firmly on track

Jeonju: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors eased into the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Two™ 2024/25 on Thursday as the side from Korea Republic handed Thailand’s Port FC a 1-0 defeat at Jeonju World Cup Stadium to complete a 5-0 aggregate victory.

Park Jae-yong headed in the game’s only goal to take the two-times continental champions into the next round, where coach Gustavo Poyet and his team will take on Australia’s Sydney FC over two legs next month.

With Jeonbuk holding a 4-0 lead from the first leg in Thailand last week, the Koreans were always heavy favourites to progress and Park’s goal underlined the gulf between the teams.

#AFCU20 - China 2025 q-final pairings decided

Thu, 20 Feb, 2025

#AFCU20 - China 2025 q-final pairings decided

Shenzhen: The AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025 is set to take another step closer towards crowning the champions following the confirmation of the quarter-final pairings on Thursday.

The last eight ties will be played on Saturday and Sunday, with the champions to be crowned on March 2.

Group D - MD3: Syria 2-2 Thailand

Fri, 21 Feb, 2025

Group D - MD3: Syria 2-2 Thailand

Shenzhen: Syria and Thailand shared honours at the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ China 2025 with a  2-2 in their final Group D match at the Longhua Cultural and Sports Centre Stadium on Thursday.

Syria ended their campaign in third with two points while Thailand finished bottom, with Korea Republic topping the group following a 1-1 draw with Japan.