Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Asilbek Aliyev scored twice in the first half and emerged as the star of the match, leading Uzbekistan to a confident 3–1 victory over the United Arab Emirates and securing their place in the semifinals of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2025 in Saudi Arabia.

The match began with a strong start from the Uzbek side. In just the second minute, Uzbekistan nearly took the lead when Abubakir Shukrullaev missed from close range following a brilliant one-two with Sadriddin Khasanov. Shortly after, Khasanov came close himself, sending a shot wide from the edge of the box. Saifiddin Sodiqov was later denied by a superb block from UAE defender Ali Hassan Aljasmi. Despite the missed chances, Uzbekistan continued to dominate play.

In the 14th minute, Aliyev opened the scoring with a stunning strike from 25 meters out, curling the ball into the top left corner — his fourth goal of the tournament. In the 35th minute, he doubled the lead by steering in a low cross from Sodiqov with his thigh, extending the advantage to 2–0. Just before halftime, in the 45th minute, Sodiqov calmly converted a penalty, capping a dominant first-half performance and bringing the score to 3–0.

Uzbekistan maintained their attacking pressure in the second half, continuing to search for a fourth goal. Aliyev came close to a hat-trick, but his header hit the post and led to a brief medical check for UAE goalkeeper Ahmed Ekrami. In the 66th minute, the UAE managed to pull one back when Mohamed Buti Almarar found the net from a second set piece, his shot deflecting slightly before sailing into the top corner.

Despite the UAE’s efforts to mount a comeback, Uzbekistan remained in control and came close to scoring a fourth on several occasions in the closing stages. However, the 3–1 scoreline was more than enough to seal their place in the semifinals, where they will face either Indonesia or North Korea.