Uzbekistan U-17s defeat China, qualify early for World Cup and reach Asian Cup quarterfinals

The AFC U-17 Asian Cup, currently underway in Saudi Arabia, has concluded its second round of group-stage matches.

After a convincing victory over Thailand in the opening match, Uzbekistan faced China in their second group game. Despite falling behind, the team staged a comeback and won 2-1. In the other match of the group, the host nation Saudi Arabia defeated Thailand 3-1.

As a result of these outcomes, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia have become two of the first teams in Asia to secure their spots at the U-17 World Cup. Moreover, under the leadership of head coach Islombek Ismoilov, Uzbekistan has also booked its place in the quarterfinals of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup ahead of schedule.

Uzbekistan will play its final group-stage match against Saudi Arabia on April 9 at 22:15 Tashkent time.

The AFC U-17 Asian Cup is held every two years and serves as the qualifying tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which will take place this year in Qatar from November 3 to 27.

The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals and qualify for the World Cup.