Uzbekistan U-17 Exit Asian Cup After Japan Defeat

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan’s under-17 national football team has ended its campaign at the AFC U-17 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia after losing to Japan in a semifinal decided by a penalty shootout.

The match ended level in regular time following a dramatic finish. In the 25th minute, the referee awarded a penalty after a foul on Ravshanbekov, and in the 28th minute Aksylbek Aliyev converted the spot kick to give Uzbekistan the lead.

It was noted that Aliyev had missed the team’s previous three matches due to a suspension received earlier at the U-17 World Cup and did not feature in games against Australia, India, and South Korea.

Uzbekistan held their advantage until stoppage time, but in the 90+6th minute Chimuzie Kae Ezemuokwe scored the equalizer, sending the match to penalties.

In the post-match penalty shootout, conversion proved decisive as Uzbekistan failed to score in their first three attempts, while Japan also missed two of their own kicks. Ultimately, Japan proved more accurate, winning the shootout 3–2 and advancing to the tournament final. Their opponent will be decided in the other semifinal between China and Australia.