Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Iraq claimed the inaugural AFC U23 Championship title in January 2014 as Hakeem Shaker’s impressive young team saw off Saudi Arabia in the final in Seeb Stadium in Oman.
Here we take a look at five players who made their mark at the tournament before going on to further enhance their reputations within the Asian game over the last four years:
Amjad Kalaf (Iraq)
While teammate Mohannad Abdul-Raheem scored the winning goal against Saudi Arabia in the final, it was the performances of Amjad Kalaf (pictured above) that impressed consistently throughout the tournament, earning the winger the Most Valuable Player award.
Kalaf has since gone on to become an integral member of Iraq’s senior national team, scoring in the third place play-off match against the United Arab Emirates at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Finals in Australia.
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Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: As the 2018 AFC U23 Championship draws ever closer, the-AFC.com looks back at the two exciting editions that have come before it.
This month's event in China offers teams the chance to follow in the footsteps of Iraq in 2014 and Japan in 2016 when the pair were crowned champions at memorable tournaments in Oman and Qatar.
A new era of Asian football began at 5pm on January 11, 2014 as the inaugural AFC U23 Championship kicked off in the cities of Muscat and Seeb in Oman.
Then known as the AFC U22 Championship, the tournament is second only to the AFC Asian Cup in terms of importance in the national team competition calendar and is the most senior youth level continental tournament in Asia.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: With the 2018 AFC U23 Championship a little over a fortnight away, join the-AFC.com as we look back at five great games from the previous two editions.
Japan 3-3 IR Iran (2014 Group Stage)
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The AFC U23 Championship has seen some superb goals. Ahead of the upcoming edition of the tournament which kicks-off on January 9, the-AFC.com looks back at five of the finest goals.
Dhurgham Ismail
Iraq vs Saudi Arabia (2014)
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Iraq go into next month’s AFC U23 Championship in China PR as the only side to have climbed the podium in both earlier editions of the competition, having won the 2014 title and finishing third in 2016.
Midfielder Bashar Resan was part of the squad on both occasions, and at just 21-years-old, he is still eligible to represent the Lions of Mesopotamia in China 2018.
In the inaugural event held in Oman, Resan was the youngest member of coach Hakeem Shaker’s squad, making his first appearance as a late substitute in the 3-0 opening match win against Saudi Arabia.
It was two years later in Qatar that the former Air Force Club player made his name as a key member of the side, playing in all matches as Iraq marched into the semi-finals before losing to eventual champions Japan. Resan fondly recalls the tournament.
“I represented Iraq a lot in the various age groups, especially the U23s, but the AFC U23 Championship is a very difficult competition, with strong teams. Especially the East Asian sides,” said the midfielder.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The AFC U23 Championship China 2018 will see Malaysia make their debut at the biennial event, with the Young Tigers aiming to put in a strong showing as they mix it with the continent's elite.
While Malaysia did win the U23 titles at the 2009 and 2011 SEA Games, they have previously never played on the continental platform.
The upcoming tournament will therefore be an opportunity for the team to make their mark after finally reaching the Finals, following two previous qualifying campaigns that did not go according to plan.
Ahead of the inaugural edition in 2014, Malaysia came close to qualification but were undone at the final hurdle. Needing a win in the last group game against Myanmar to clinch an automatic spot, Ong Kim Swee's young charges lost 2-1.
A similar story ensued in the subsequent campaign two years later as Malaysia finished third in their group, behind Japan and Vietnam and failed to qualify once again.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Palestine's gradual rise in Asian football continued in 2017 when they made history at both senior and U23 levels.
While the senior team qualified for their second successive AFC Asian Cup and achieved their best ever FIFA ranking by ending the year in 80th place, the U23 team have also made their mark.
Ayman Sandouqa's colts will make their AFC U23 Championship debut in China next month after a stirring performance in the qualifiers which saw them finish top of their group, ahead of Jordan, Tajikistan and Bangladesh.
Palestine were the designated host for the Group E matches and they gave their home fans in Hebron a treat to remember.
In the opening game against Tajikistan, it was Palestine who twice went in front but the Tajiks equalised on both occasions.