Qatar Clinches Victory in AFC U-23 Asian Cup Group Stage
Qatar emerged as the undefeated champion in the group stage of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup.
In a thrilling encounter, Qatar secured a hard-fought 1-0 triumph over Kyrgyzstan, sealing their dominance in Group B of the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifying round. The match took place at the Changwon Football Center in Gyeongnam.
The preliminary round of this competition determines the teams that will progress to the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, the final qualifying round for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It serves as the initial gateway to the highly anticipated event.
This prestigious tournament will feature a total of 16 teams, including the first-placed team from each of the 11 preliminary groups, the top four teams from the second-placed finishers in each group, and the host country Qatar. These teams will battle it out in the Asian U-23 Cup finals scheduled between April and May 2024, for a chance to secure their spot in the Paris Olympic Games.
Qatar has showcased an exceptional performance, triumphing over Korea with a 2-0 victory and dominating Myanmar with an overwhelming 6-0 win. With a total of 9 goals scored in three group stage games, Qatar has emerged victorious in all encounters.
Despite a valiant effort, Kyrgyzstan, who managed to secure a draw against Myanmar in their first match and later suffered a defeat against Korea, fell short against Qatar, conceding one goal. It is important to note that the match result against Qatar, who automatically advanced to the finals as the host nation of the U-23 Asian Cup, does not influence the calculation of the group stage positions.
In their quest for a spot in the U-23 Asian Cup finals, Kyrgyzstan ended the group stage with a final tally of 1 point, resulting from a draw and a loss. Unfortunately, this was not enough to propel them to the next stage.
The final standings of Group B will be determined following the outcome of the match between Korea and Myanmar later today. However, even if Kyrgyzstan secures the second-place position in the group, their performance will fall short compared to the second-place teams from other groups.
Fierce Battle and Goal Thriller
The clash between Qatar and Kyrgyzstan witnessed a fiercely contested duel, predominantly centered around midfield control. Qatar’s active forward pressure effectively stifled Kyrgyzstan’s advancements, while the latter retaliated with great resilience.
The first half saw both teams struggling to create significant scoring opportunities. As the game resumed with a 0-0 scoreline in the second half, Qatar made a breakthrough in the 52nd minute. Striker Ilies Brimil unleashed a thunderous mid-range shot from outside the left penalty area, nestling it perfectly into the top corner of the goal. This goal ultimately proved decisive and secured the victory for Qatar.
Following Qatar’s goal, both teams threatened the opposing goal on several occasions, but failed to find the back of the net again.
In a pivotal moment during the 60th minute of the second half, Kyrgyzstan had a golden opportunity to beat the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation. However, their ambitions were thwarted by the unwavering Qatari defense.
(Photo = Yonhap News)
Qatar won the entire group stage of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup.
Qatar defeated Kyrgyzstan 1-0 in the third match of Group B of the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifying group held at the Changwon Football Center in Gyeongnam.
This preliminary round is a competition that determines the teams that progress to the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, the final qualifying round for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and is the first gateway to the Paris Olympic Games .
A total of 16 teams, including the first-placed team in each of the 11 preliminary groups, the top four teams from the second-placed teams in each group, and host country Qatar, will compete in progressed to Paris in the Asian U-23. Cup finals to be held between April-May 2024.
Qatar, who defeated Korea (2-0 win) on the 6th and Myanmar (6-0 win) on the 9th, scored 9 goals in 3 group stage games and won 3 times in a row.
Unfortunately Kyrgyzstan, who had drawn with Myanmar in the first match and then lost to Korea, lost to Qatar today by conceding one goal.
However, the match record against Qatar, who automatically progressed to the finals as the host nation of the U-23 Asian Cup next year, is not reflected in the calculation of the group stage positions.
Kyrgyzstan recorded a final point of 1 (1 draw, 1 loss) and failed to advance to the U23 Asian Cup finals.
The final position of Group B will be determined based on the results of the match between Korea and Myanmar at 8 PM today, but even if Kyrgyzstan comes second in the group, it will be lower than the performance of the second place team in the other groups.
Qatar and Kyrgyzstan had a fierce battle centered on midfield in the first half.
Qatar blocked Kyrgyzstan’s advance with active forward pressure, and Kyrgyzstan fought back with a fierce battle.
In the 34th minute of the first half, Qatar, excited by Kyrgyzstan’s tough fight, deliberately pushed the opposing player, causing a sudden war of nerves on the ground, causing the game to overheat.
Both teams failed to create significant scoring opportunities in the first half and started the second half with a score of 0-0.
Qatar scored a goal in the 7th minute of the second half when striker Ilies Brimil hit the top corner of the goal with a thunderous mid-range shot from outside the left penalty area, and this goal became the winning goal.
After Qatar’s goal, both teams threatened the other’s goal several times, but no further goals were scored.
Kyrgyzstan had a golden opportunity to beat the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation in the 15th minute of the second half, but was thwarted by the Qatari defence.
(Photo = Yonhap News)
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