The Uzbekistan U-23 national team achieved a remarkable 5-0 victory against Kuwait in the second round of the AFC Championship for footballers under 23, taking place in Qatar from April 15 to May 3. The match on April 20 saw Uzbekistan dominating the field.
The Uzbek team opened the score in the 32nd minute when defender Alibek Davronov headed in a cross into the penalty area. In the 49th minute, the second central defender Muhammadkodir Khamraliev found the back of the net after another cross into the penalty area.
Left winger Khodjimat Erkinov became the author of the third goal in the 55th minute, initiating a counterattack and finishing it with a precise strike. In the 86th minute, the youth team earned a penalty kick, which Diyor Kholmatov executed flawlessly. In the 90+6 minute, Husain Norchaev scored the fifth goal.
Uzbekistan U-23 now leads Group D with 6 points, securing a spot in the tournament's quarterfinals. Vietnam follows in second place (6 points), followed by Malaysia and Kuwait (0 points each). The next match for the Uzbek youth team will be against Vietnam on April 23 at 20:30.
The AFC U-23 Asian Cup is an international football championship held every two years by the Asian Football Confederation. The tournament, serving as the AFC qualifiers for the 2024 Summer Olympics in France, will run from April 15 to May 3 in Qatar. The top three teams will qualify for the Olympics as representatives of Asia, while the fourth-placed team will participate in a playoff match. A total of 16 teams are competing in the tournament, with Saudi Arabia being the reigning champion.
