Japan edge Uzbekistan to lift second title

Sun, 05 May, 2024

Japan edge Uzbekistan to lift second title

Doha: Substitute Fuki Yamada struck in the 91st minute and Leo Kokubo made a late penalty save to earn Japan a 1-0 win over Uzbekistan on Friday that secured Go Oiwa’s side the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ title at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.

Yamada, introduced from the bench with 18 minutes remaining, struck into the bottom corner of Abduvakhid Nematov’s goal before Kokubo kept out Umarali Rakhmonaliev’s spot-kick nine minutes later to earn Japan their second AFC U23 Asian Cup title.
 
The dramatic finish came at the end of a tense encounter and it saw the Japanese win the title for the first time since 2016, when the Samurai Blue also lifted the trophy on Qatari soil.

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Fujita named MVP

Sat, 04 May, 2024

Fujita named MVP

Doha: Captain Joel Chima Fujita was named the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ Most Valuable Player following Japan's 1-0 defeat of Uzbekistan in the final on Friday.

Fujita, 22, played a pivotal role as Japan became the first team to lift the coveted title a second time.

Iraq's Jasim takes Yili Top Scorer award

Sat, 04 May, 2024

Iraq's Jasim takes Yili Top Scorer award

Doha: Midfielder Ali Jasim won the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ Yili Top Scorer award on Friday.

Jasim, 20, scored four goals and made two assists as Iraq qualified for the Paris Olympics.

Nematov wins Best Goalkeeper award

Sat, 04 May, 2024

Nematov wins Best Goalkeeper award

Doha: Uzbekistan's Abduvakhid Nematov was named as the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ Best Goalkeeper after a sterling campaign for the Central Asian side.

The 23-year-old custodian kept a clean sheet in four of the five matches he appeared in but suffered heartbreak in the final as Uzbekistan were beaten 1-0 by Japan on Friday. 

All my players deserve to go to the Olympics, says Iraq's Shenaishil

Fri, 03 May, 2024

All my players deserve to go to the Olympics, says Iraq's Shenaishil

Doha: Head coach Radhi Shenaishil will be in no hurry to cast aside the players who booked Iraq’s ticket for the Olympic Games should he remain in charge to take the team to Paris, hailing them as heroes after their AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™ third place playoff win over Indonesia on Thursday.

Goals from Zaid Tahseen and Ali Jasim at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium earned the Iraqis a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Southeast Asians, who had taken the lead through Ivar Jenner before Iraq’s extra-time success sealed their passage to Paris.
 
The Iraqis will be able to select three over-age players as well as completely reconfigure their squad for the Olympic Games in July and August, but Shenaishil was in no hurry to discuss discarding those who prevailed in Qatar in a gruelling three-week campaign.

Indonesia's Shin shifts focus to Guinea playoff

Fri, 03 May, 2024

Indonesia's Shin shifts focus to Guinea playoff

Doha: Indonesia head coach Shin Tae-yong knows he faces a race against time to prepare his exhausted players for their Olympic Games showdown against Guinea next Thursday after slipping to a 2-1 loss to Iraq in the third place playoff at the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™.

Shin’s side lost in extra-time despite taking the lead through Ivar Jenner after goals from Zaid Tehseen and Ali Jasim earned the Iraqis the last of Asia’s three guaranteed berths at the Games in Paris.
 
The Indonesians can still qualify for the Olympics, however, with victory over the African side in Paris, with Shin aware it will take a major effort to revitalise his players over the coming week.

Jasim: I love playing for Iraq

Fri, 03 May, 2024

Jasim: I love playing for Iraq

Doha: First, he fired them to the FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023. Then on Thursday, Ali Jasim emerged as the hero once again for Iraq by grabbing the winning goal against Indonesia to send them to the Olympic Games.

The 20-year-old struck in the sixth minute of extra time to seal a 2-1 win in the third-place playoff of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024™, which secured the third and final automatic qualifying slot to Paris and a sixth appearance for the West Asians.

#U17WAC - Know Your Teams

Thu, 02 May, 2024

#U17WAC - Know Your Teams

Bali: Asia’s next generation takes centrestage at the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup™ Indonesia 2024 with the tournament set to kick-off on Monday.

Join the-AFC.com as we take a look at the teams with Group A consisting of Indonesia, three-time champions DPR Korea, 2009 winners Korea Republic and debutantes Philippines.
 
Group B, meanwhile, will four-time winners Japan, China PR, Australia and Thailand vying for the two semi-final spots. 

#AFCCup Final: Ones to Watch

Fri, 03 May, 2024

#AFCCup Final: Ones to Watch

Muscat: The curtains will come down on the AFC Cup™ when Al Ahed FC of Lebanon face off against Central Coast Mariners of Australia in the 2023-24 final at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Muscat, Oman on Sunday as the tournament gets ready for its final chapter.

Having been introduced to the Asian football calendar two decades ago, the competition has seen 12 clubs from nine different nations being crowned as champions with Al Ahed themselves lifting the trophy in 2019 when they beat DPR Korea’s 4.25 SC in the final.
 
With the Lebanese side aiming to lift the coveted trophy for the second time against the A-League champions who’ve had a memorable debut season in the AFC Cup, the-AFC.com picks out three players from each side who could prove to be pivotal in the decider.