The Uzbekistan youth team defeated Saudi Arabia and reached the semi-finals of the Asian U-23 Football Championship, which is taking place from April 15 to May 3 in Qatar. The match, which took place on April 26, ended with a score of 2:0.
The Uzbek footballers the first goal in extra time of the first half (45+2'). The opponents made a mistake when leaving the defense, as a result, striker Khusain Norchayev entered the penalty area and beat the goalkeeper.
In the 36th minute, forward Ruslanbek Jiyanov received the ball nearby the penalty area and accurately shot from a tight angle.
In the 70th minute, Saudi Arabia’s Ayman Salem received a second yellow and was sent off.
In the 84th minute, midfielder Umarali Rakhmonaliev was the first to finish and doubled Uzbekistan’s lead.
Thus, Uzbekistan U-23 defeated the reigning champion of the tournament and reached the semi-finals. On April 29 at 19:00 the team will play with Indonesia U-23, which defeated South Korea in a penalty shootout (2:2, 10:11).
For information, the Asian Cup U-23 is an international Asian football championship held every two years and organized by the Asian Football Confederation. The tournament will be held from April 15 to May 3 in Qatar.
The tournament serves as the AFC’s qualifying tournament for the 2024 Summer Olympics in France. The top three teams in the tournament will qualify for the Olympics as Asian representatives, while the fourth best team will take part in the playoff match. A total of 16 teams compete in the tournament. Saudi Arabia is the defending champion.
