January 25 – Japan brushed China aside 4-0 to retain their AFC U23 Asian Cup title at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium on Saturday. It is Japan’s third U23 Asian title, a confederation record.
Two goals from Kosei Ogura and strikes from Yuto Ozeki and Ryunosuke Sato (the tournament’s leading scorer) ensured Japan became the first team to defend the title.
Japan were dominant throughout the tournament, conceding just one goal on their way to the final. That goal against was in the quarter final against Jordan which ended 1-1 after extra time, before Japan won the penalty shoot-out 4-2.
In the semi-final Japan overcame South Korea 1-0.
China, who had finished second in their group behind Australia, drew 0-0 with Uzbekistan in their quarter final but won 4-2 on penalties. In the semi-final they beat Vietnam 3-0 before they came across an unstoppable Japan.
Japan opened the scoring in the final in the 12th minute when Ozeki converted Furuya’s cutback. On 20 minutes Japan were 2-0 up with Ogura pouncing on a loose ball and striking it into the bottom left corner.
Liu Haofan’s handball in the second half saw Sato convert from the spot to take his overall tally to four goals. Ogura scored his second from distance with a shot that took a slight deflection before settling in the bottom right corner of the net.
Japan came into the tournament as favourites despite having one of the youngest teams.
“Taking an early lead (in the final) and then scoring our second goal allowed us to control the match effectively. However, we stayed fully focused until the final whistle and never let our guard down,” said Japan head coach Go Iowa.
“We played several tough matches and advanced step by step. I expect that future competitions will also feature many closely contested games, so we want to make sure we prepare thoroughly for these major tournaments.”
Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President, congratulated Japan their record-extending third AFC U23 Asian Cup title.
“Japan deserves our wholehearted praise for emerging as worthy champions and we must also commend both the Japan Football Association and the Chinese Football Association for their dedication towards establishing world-class youth development systems,” said Salman.
“This latest success is indeed a testament to Japan’s football ecosystem, and I am confident that this victory will generate greater interest in our beautiful game and inspire a new generation of football fans and players.”
He also thanked the Saudis who will host Champions League Elite Finals Jeddah 2026 and the AFC Asian Cup in 2027.
“The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Saudi Arabian leadership have continued to underline their ambitions to solidify the Kingdom’s position as an unrivalled destination for sport and football in recent years, and I must put on record the gratitude of the AFC for their steadfast support,” said Salman.
“Not for the first time, the SAFF and Local Organising Committee have showcased their exceptional hosting capabilities and the AFC will continue to work in close partnership with them in supporting their vision.”
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