Group C: Uzbekistan 3-2 Lebanon

Thu, 08 Jan, 2026

Group C: Uzbekistan 3-2 Lebanon

Riyadh: Uzbekistan staved off a late fightback to defeat debutants Lebanon 3-2 in their opening AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Group C tie on Wednesday.

Ravshan Khaydarov’s side were electric for the first 60 minutes at the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Stadium but then allowed Lebanon to pull two back. The win, however, meant the 2018 champions lead the group by two points after Korea Republic and Islamic Republic of Iran drew 0-0 earlier in the day.

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Group C: Korea Republic 0-0 IR Iran

Thu, 08 Jan, 2026

Group C: Korea Republic 0-0 IR Iran

Riyadh: Korea Republic and Islamic Republic of Iran settled for a goalless draw in their AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ opening Group C match on Wednesday.

Both sides will need to pick up their game if 2020 champions Korea Republic are to overcome debutants Lebanon on Saturday while IR Iran will have their hands full against 2018 winners Uzbekistan.

Group B: Japan 5-0 Syria

Thu, 08 Jan, 2026

Group B: Japan 5-0 Syria

Jeddah: Ryunosuke Sato’s brace powered defending champions Japan to a 5-0 win over Syria in their AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026™ Group B opener on Wednesday.

Japan led from start to finish with Yuto Ozeki opening their account in the first half, Sato pitching in with a superb double with Sena Ishibashi and Yutaka Michiwaki completing the emphatic win.

Group B: Qatar 0-2 UAE

Thu, 08 Jan, 2026

Group B: Qatar 0-2 UAE

Jeddah: United Arab Emirates emerged 2-0 winners against Qatar to get their AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ campaign off to a fine start on Wednesday. 

The result means UAE join Japan as the early pacesetters in Group B with the latter having beaten Syria 5-0 in an earlier match.

Preview - Group D: Iraq v China PR

Thu, 08 Jan, 2026

Preview - Group D: Iraq v China PR

Riyadh: Iraq head coach Emad Mohammed believes his team will be among the contenders at the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ despite facing pre-tournament difficulties.

The 2013 champions, who take on China PR in their Group D opener on Thursday, arrived late for the showpiece due to the club commitments of their players.

Preview - Group D: Australia v Thailand

Thu, 08 Jan, 2026

Preview - Group D: Australia v Thailand

Riyadh: Tony Vidmar has challenged his Australia side to live up to their billing when they take on Thailand in their AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Group D opener on Thursday.

Despite a short period for preparation, the tactician is optimistic that Australia can make a winning start in the competition against Thailand who he acknowledged would be tough opponents.