The U19 Asian Championship, held from 18th October to 4th November in Indonesia, features the 16 best nations of the continent. The four teams which will reach the semi-finals will be qualified automatically for the upcoming U20 World Cup held in Poland next summer.
During the Matchday 2, several Maurice Revello Tournament former players have shone. Recap !
Qatar-Indonesia : 6-5
No, you’re not dreaming ! The Qataris have beaten the country host at the Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno (Jakarta) front 38 000 fans after a thrilling game ! Hashim Ali, the Al Sadd youngster who played the Maurice Revello Tournament 2017, has netted a brace. Thanks to this victory, Qatar are now second of the group and have the opportunity to seal their qualification for the next round during the upcoming game against Chinese Tapei.
Group A : United Arab Emirates 6 pts, Qatar 3 pts (0), Indonesia 3 pts (-1), Chinese Taipei 0 pt.
Thailand – Japan : 1-3
Thanks to their second win in as many games, the Samuraï Blue are qualified for the quarter finals. Hiroki Abe (Maurice Revello Tournament 2017) has played a key role in this success as he has been involved in the first two goals of side netted respectively by Taisei Miyashiro and Koki Saito.
Group B : Japan 6 pts, North Korea 3 pts, Iraq 1 pt, Thailand 1 pt.
Jordan – South Korea : 1-3
South Korea earned the win thanks to three players who took part in the Maurice Revello Tournament 2018. The Seoul forward Cho Young-Wook (28 K-League games played this season) broke the deadlock while Jeon Se-Jin put his side ahead after 79 minutes. Then, Choi Jun sealed the victory thanks to a late goal.
Group C : South Korea 4 pts (+2), Australia 4 pts (+1), Jordan 3 pts, Vietnam 0 pt.
China – Saudi Arabia : 0-1
Two games, two losses, zero goal scored. Wen Jiabao and his teammates are living a disappointing campaign. Against Saudi Arabia, they were punished by a goal scored by Abdulmohsen Qahtani with ten minutes remaining.
Group D : Saudi Arabia 6 pts, Tajikistan 4 pts, Malaysia 1 pt, China 0 pt.
Amayes Brahmi
Crédits photo : AFC / Gekisaka