The Youth National Team of Uzbekistan achieved victory over Saudi Arabia and advanced to the semi-finals of the Asian Championship among football players under 23 years old, which is taking place from April 15 to May 3 in Qatar. The match, held on April 26, ended with a score of 2:0.
The Uzbek team opened the scoring in the additional time of the first half (45+2'). The opponents made a mistake in defense, allowing forward Husain Norchaev to penetrate the penalty area and beat the goalkeeper.
In the 36th minute, forward Ruslanbek Zhiyanov received the ball near the penalty area and scored accurately from a sharp angle.
In the 70th minute, Saudi Arabia's player Ayman Salem received his second yellow card and was sent off the field. On the 84th minute, midfielder Umarali Rakhmonaliev was the first to follow up and doubled Uzbekistan's advantage.
As a result, Uzbekistan U-23 defeated the defending champion of the tournament and advanced to the semi-finals. On April 29 at 19:00, the team will face Indonesia U-23, which defeated South Korea in a penalty shootout (2:2, 10:11).
The Asian Cup for players under 23 is an international football championship in Asia, held once every two years and organized by the Asian Football Confederation. The tournament is a qualifying event for the AFC for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in France. The top three teams of the tournament will qualify for the Olympics as representatives of Asia, while the fourth-best team will participate in a playoff match. A total of 16 teams are competing in the tournament. Saudi Arabia is the current reigning champion.
