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Will the underdogs upstage the titans in the Asian Cup 2023 quarterfinals?

   February 1, 2024
Will the underdogs upstage the titans in the Asian Cup 2023 quarterfinals?


The quarterfinals of the Asian Cup pit regional giants against each other, but outsiders also face off against the defending champions.

The AFC Asian Cup has been a quarter-final tournament and the continent’s titans have escaped relatively unscathed so far. However, they are all about to compete against each other.

Here’s our overview of the tournament’s last eight round, which will take place on Friday and Saturday:

1. Tajikistan v Jordan: Friday 2 February at 11:30am GMT

Two underrated teams meet in the first quarter-finals. Jordan made it to third place in their group after Bahrain beat them 1-0 in the opening round in the final round, after defeating Malaysia with a resounding 4-0 win in the first game and drawing with South Korea in the second game. Jordan made an incredible comeback and scored two goals in stoppage time defeated Iraq 3-2 in the round of 16.

Tajikistan defeated Thailand 2-1 in the round of 16 to qualify for the group stage for the first time with a second place finish ahead of China, who drew in their opening game before being beaten by Qatar but prevailing over Lebanon to ensure their progress.

It won’t be easy to pick a winner here.

2. Australia vs South Korea: Friday 2 February at 15:30 GMT

One of the two outstanding encounters in the quarterfinals pits one of the best teams against one of the favorites. Australia topped their group with opening wins against India and Syria to secure progression before drawing in the final game against Uzbekistan. Their round of 16 tie was another dominant performance as they beat Indonesia 4-0.

South Korea were just behind Japan as second favorites for the competition, but had to work hard to reach this stage. A second place in the group They met Saudi Arabia in the last round The Koreans were largely second best and needed a stoppage-time header from Cho Gue-sung to take the game into extra time after Abdullah Radif gave the Saudis a deserved lead shortly after half-time. It was a gigantic duel all the way to penalties, from which the Koreans can consider themselves lucky to have emerged victorious. It remains to be seen how much the actions will have taken out of them.

Will South Korea reach its peak in the tournament in this game?

3. Iran vs. Japan: Saturday, February 2 at 11:30 GMT

The Asian giants’ other clash in the quarter-finals is a massive battle between East and West. Iran is a three-time Asian Cup winner but has become best known for its World Cup performances in recent decades. Japan is the record winner with five trophies and is the favorite to extend this series.

A comfortable 3-1 win over Bahrain in the round of 16 has Japan well-equipped for this game. However, they ran into a bit of a sweat in the group when their Iranian neighbors Iraq beat the Japanese 2-1. Waturo Endo scored a consolation goal in stoppage time after Aymen Hussein scored a brace in the first half. Iran’s successes contrasted with those of their opponents after they won a relatively straightforward group stage with a clean sweep and seven goals. The Iranians then had to work through a spirited Syrian team all the way to penalties. Iran will also be without their top scorer Mehdi Tarmei, who was sent off for a second yellow card in the game.

Will Team Melli have enough potential to prevail against the Blue Samurai?

4. Qatar vs Uzbekistan: Saturday 3 February at 15:30 GMT

The hosts and defending champions are considered strong favorites to reach the semi-finals in this duel. After a disappointing World Cup on home soil two years ago, Qatar has picked up where it left off with its 2019 Asian Cup final win over Japan. Akram Afif, who scored the third goal of the game from the penalty spot, has been irresistible in the tournament and appears to offer endless possibilities as well as an inspirational boost to his side’s efforts.

Captain Hassan al-Haydos has also been at the heart of everything Qatar has done and he and Afif are on their own personal journey in the fight for the Golden Boat, scoring a goal or two in every game so far Both scored and beat Palestine in the final round.

Uzbekistan defeated Thailand 2-1 in the round of 16 to continue their own incredible story. With a draw in the final group stage game against Australia, Uzbekistan remain unbeaten in the competition so far, securing second place ahead of formidable Syria and the sleeping giants who have failed to wake up to India.

Will the underdogs dethrone the defending champions?





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