The U-23 Asian Cup, currently underway on Saudi Arabia’s green pitches, has entered its most exciting and decisive stage. The group phase is over: 8 of the 16 national teams have left the tournament, while the remaining 8 will keep fighting for their dream in the quarterfinals. The teams that finished 1st and 2nd in their groups are now heading into the playoffs, preparing for matches where every mistake will come at a heavy price.
Uzbekistan’s U-23 team topped Group C and made its intentions clear: the quarterfinal ticket is secured. Now the next obstacle is China. The opponent collected 5 points in Group D against Iraq (0:0), Australia (1:0) and Thailand (0:0) to advance. In short, China score little and concede little—a team that can “lock” a game down. That means we will need patience, the right decisions, and composure in one-on-one situations.
Uzbekistan vs China: head-to-head advantage is ours
The most interesting part is that history says a lot in this matchup. Uzbekistan and China’s U-23 sides have met three times in the Asian Cup—and Uzbekistan won all three. This is not just statistics; it is also a psychological edge.
1) 2013 (U-22 tournament):
In the very first edition, our team faced China in the group stage and won thanks to goals from Krimets and Sergeev: Uzbekistan - China 2:1.
2) 2018 (hosted by China):
In that tournament—where we became champions in China—Ravshan Khaydarov’s team beat the hosts in the group thanks to Alijonov’s lone goal: China - Uzbekistan 0:1.
3) 2020 (Thailand):
In the Group C match, Qobilov and To‘xtasinov scored as a confident win was recorded: Uzbekistan - China 2:0.
The teams also play international friendlies quite often. The most recent one was in November 2025 at an international tournament in China, ending 0:0. In other words, China tend to choose a cautious plan against us: they compress the space and slow the tempo. We must be able to break even this kind of “frozen” game and create chances.
Where does the road to the semifinal go?
The quarterfinal winner will face the winner of Vietnam vs UAE in the semifinal. That match will be played on January 20. So if we get through this round, the next step is already mapped out: the opponent isn’t a mystery, and the opportunities are clear.
When and where is the match?
Reminder: the Uzbekistan vs China quarterfinal kicks off on January 17 at 16:30 Tashkent time. The match will be held at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.
One conclusion: both history and experience are on our side. But in the playoffs, “yesterday’s wins” don’t score goals—you have to score today on the pitch. That’s why our team needs one thing: calmness, discipline, and a fight to the very end. The rest is the joy of football itself.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
