Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Baghdad: Iraq captain Ali Kadhim has set his sights on lifting the AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020 title and following in the footsteps of previous generations by qualifying for the Olympic Games in Tokyo next summer.
The Lions of Mesopotamia have a proud record in the AFC U23 Championship, winning the inaugural edition – when it was the AFC U-22 Championship – in Oman before finishing third in Qatar two years later to book their ticket to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
While they exited at the group stage in Brazil, the West Asians were unbeaten and secured an excellent scoreless draw with the hosts, who eventually won the competition.
Twelve years earlier in Athens, meanwhile, Iraq narrowly missed out on the bronze medal after finishing fourth following a closely fought 1-0 loss to Italy in the third place play-off.
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Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Asian football will reach another historic milestone with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system making its full tournament debut at the upcoming AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020, which is scheduled to take place across three cities – Bangkok, Buriram and Songkhla – between January 8 to 26, 2020.
Having made its successful debut from the quarter-final stage of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 in January, the AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020 will be the first AFC competition to implement the VAR system in all 32 matches.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Sydney: Qualification for the Olympic Games in Tokyo next summer is “crucial” for the further development of Australia’s footballing talent says head coach Graham Arnold as the countdown continues towards the 2020 AFC U23 Championship in Thailand next month.
Arnold, who coaches the U23 side as well as the senior side, has been charged with leading his nation’s attempt to qualify for the Olympic football tournament in Japan as the Australians seek to secure a spot at the Finals for the first time since 2008.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020 is now less than three weeks away and there’s little doubt that some of Asia’s brightest stars of the future will be on display in Southeast Asia as they aim to be crowned Continental champions and book their country’s ticket to the Tokyo Olympics.
The three previous editions of the tournament have featured names who have developed into key performers for club and country, earned moves to bigger leagues and become household names across Asia and beyond.
Ahead of what is sure to be another excellent U-23 competition, the-AFC.com has picked out seven players who have graced the tournament and gone on to develop into modern-day superstars of Asian football.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The AFC U23 Championship headed east for the first time in early 2018 as China’s Jiangsu province hosted the third edition of the Continental showpiece and a tournament that saw the emergence of stars that would shine on Asia's biggest stage a year later.
Almoez Ali and Nguyen Quang Hai were two names, in particular, that enjoyed superb campaigns for Qatar and Vietnam respectively, although it was the collective effort of Uzbekistan’s White Wolves that ultimately ruled supreme.
Elsewhere, hosts China disappointed while powerhouses Japan, Korea Republic and Iraq failed to live up to expectations in a tournament that once again served up many moments to remember.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The stakes were high ahead of the 2016 AFC U23 Championship in Qatar with the competition also named as the Olympics qualifying tournament and a place at the Rio de Janeiro Games on offer for the top three teams.
With 16 teams fighting it out for the right to be crowned Continental champions and book their tickets to South America it did not disappoint as fans in Doha were treated to a football extravaganza.
Fabulous goals, future household names and drama to the last, the-AFC.com looks back at one of the most memorable tournaments of recent years.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020 is just a few weeks away as another year of football across the Continent will kick off with one of the most highly anticipated competitions, in which qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is also up for grabs.
Holders Uzbekistan will be looking to repeat their feat from China two years ago while Japan are aiming to return to the form that saw them lift the AFC U23 Championship trophy in Qatar in 2016.
But, after initially being scheduled to take place in mid-2013, the inaugural edition of one of the newest competition’s in the AFC calendar came in 2014 when – as the then AFC U-22 Championship – Iraq conquered all before them in a tournament that saw a number of Asia’s modern-day stars play key roles.