Najhi praises clinical Jordan; Saudi Arabia slip-up frustrates Biagio

Sun, 11 Jan, 2026

Najhi praises clinical Jordan; Saudi Arabia slip-up frustrates Biagio

Jeddah: Head coach Omar Najhi was beaming with pride after seeing his Jordan side fight back to edge Saudi Arabia in a five-goal AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Group A thriller on Friday.

A first-half Ali Azaizeh brace set the tone for Jordan to take the game from Saudi Arabia, who had taken the lead through Rakan Al Ghamdi.

Musab Al Juwayr brought Saudi Arabia level at the hour mark, only for Mahmoud Khrouba to score the decisive goal 13 minutes later to revive Jordan’s campaign.

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Kim hails Vietnam squad depth after tough Kyrgyz Republic win

Sat, 10 Jan, 2026

Kim hails Vietnam squad depth after tough Kyrgyz Republic win

Jeddah: Head coach Kim Sang-sik expressed his delight after seeing his Vietnam side come through a difficult tie against Kyrgyz Republic to secure a 2-1 win in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ on Friday.

Khuat Van Khang had given Vietnam a 19th minute lead but Kyrgyz Republic roared back with a spectacular Marlen Murzakhmatov long range effort to leave the tie hanging in the balance at the break.

With the match seemingly heading for a stalemate, Kim rang in the changes with Nguyen Dinh Bac and Le Van Thuan’s introduction sparking a late push for a winner which eventually came through Khristiian Brauzman’s deflection from a Van Thuan header to take Vietnam to six points and almost surely confirm their knockout stage spot. 

Group A: Jordan 3-2 Saudi Arabia

Sat, 10 Jan, 2026

Group A: Jordan 3-2 Saudi Arabia

Jeddah: Jordan roared back into contention for the knockout stage with a thrilling 3-2 defeat of Saudi Arabia in their AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Group A tie on Friday.

The result moved Jordan level on three points with Saudi Arabia, with Vietnam on six following their 2-1 defeat of Kyrgyz Republic in the earlier match. Jordan will meet Kyrgyz Republic on Monday, with Saudi Arabia taking on Vietnam. 

Group A: Kyrgyz Republic 1-2 Vietnam

Sat, 10 Jan, 2026

Group A: Kyrgyz Republic 1-2 Vietnam

Jeddah: Vietnam left it late to beat a valiant Kyrgyz Republic 2-1 in their AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ Group A tie on Friday.

The victory means 2018 runners-up Vietnam - who moved up to six points - are in pole position to advance to the quarter-finals after Jordan defeated Saudi Arabia 3-2 in the later match. Vietnam will meet the hosts in their concluding group tie on Monday.

Preview - Group B: Syria v Qatar

Sun, 11 Jan, 2026

Preview - Group B: Syria v Qatar

Jeddah: Syria and Qatar are equally determined to bounce back from their disappointing starts when they meet in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ on Saturday.

Syria lost 5-0 to Japan in their Group B opener while Qatar were defeated to 2-0 by the United Arab Emirates, meaning both can’t drop points if they want to stay in the hunt for a place in the quarter-finals.

Preview - Group C: IR Iran v Uzbekistan

Sat, 10 Jan, 2026

Preview - Group C: IR Iran v Uzbekistan

Riyadh: A wiser Uzbekistan will take to the pitch for their clash against Islamic Republic of Iran in Group C of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™ on Saturday.

The Central Asian side beat debutants Lebanon 3-2 on Wednesday, but allowed their opponents back into the game towards the closing stage after going three up by the hour mark.