Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Jakarta: Timor-Leste finished third in Group H after defeating Brunei 3-0 in the AFC U-23 Championship 2016 qualifiers at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Tuesday.
With the winners’ ticket to the finals already claimed by Korea Republic after they had beaten hosts Indonesia 4-0, Timor-Leste went ahead when Ezequiel Dos Santos Fernandes notched his side’s first goal 24 minutes before half-time.
Henrique Cruz duly bagged Timor-Leste's second as the clock hit 90 minutes, befiore Agostinho found Brunei’s net three minutes into stoppage time to seal Timor Leste’s only win of their qualifying campaign, relegating the winless Bruneians to the foot of the table.
Ten group winners and five best second-placed teams from all groups will join hosts Qatar at the AFC U-23 Championship 2016, with January’s 16-team competition also serving as Asia’s qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio.
The final group winner and the complete line up of best second-place finishers will only be confirmed after the conclusion of Group B of the qualifiers, which features Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan as well as hosts Pakistan.
Group B was scheduled to take place in Lahore at Lahore’s Punjab Stadium from March 23 to 31 has been postponed due to security concerns following the recent troubles in the Youhanabad area of the city.
A decision on an alternative venue and schedule for Group B will be announced in due course.
Photo: Liga Indonesia