There was not all laughs and joy for Southeast Asian sides in the U23 Asian Cup as Vietnam and Indonesia advanced to the quarter-finals, while the big brothers Thailand exited in disappointment.
U23 Asian Cup Results
A defeat at Tajikistan on Monday night cost Thailand the early exit. They fell to the bottom of Group C and are no longer in the run for a quarter-final ticket.
Among SEA sides, the battle elephants had the brightest start with a 2-0 victory against Iraq. However, the momentum could not last long as Saudi Arabia thrashed them 0-5 in the second group game before eventually being doomed by Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, Indonesia enter the U23 Asian Cup quarter-finals after a big win against Jordan. A draw was enough to advance, but Shin Tae-Yong’s side did more than that.
Ferdinand pulled an excellent game with three goal contributions to put his side in the last eight.
The win against Jordan helped Indonesia finish second in Group A with six points, one behind host Qatar, who drew 0-0 with Australia in the other match. Indonesia advanced to the quarter-finals in their first U23 Asian Cup, where they will face either Japan or South Korea.
Wins against Kuwait and Malaysia saw the Red Star Warriors book their knockout stage spot with a match to spare. The last group game against Uzbekistan is merely a game for experience before the storm.
To many Vietnam fans, the match is a chance for revenge. It is a repeat of the 2018 final, in which Uzbekistan emerged victorious 2-1 to lift their inaugural title.
U23 Asian Cup Quarter-finals fixtures
Quarter-finalists
- Japan
- Indonesia
- South Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- Iraq
- Vietnam
- Uzbekista
Fixtures
- Qatar vs Japan
- South Korea vs Indonesia
- TBD vs Saudi Arabia
- Iraq vs TBD
