The group stage of the 2024 Asian U-23 Cup has concluded with eight teams advancing to the quarter-finals. In the group stage, ASEAN sent four teams to this sixth edition of the tournament, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.
Of these four teams, only two made it to the knockout stage: Indonesia U-23 and Vietnam. With the success of Indonesia U-23 and Vietnam, the tradition of ASEAN representation in the quarterfinals of the Asian U-23 Cup has been maintained since 2018.
Vietnam became the first ASEAN team to reach the quarter-finals. The Golden Star Warriors achieved the milestone by defeating Malaysia 2-0 on the second matchday of Group D on April 20. Vietnam and Uzbekistan advanced to the quarterfinals from the same group.
Following in Vietnam's footsteps, Indonesia U-23 also advanced to the next round. Despite being the underdogs, Garuda Muda secured second place in Group A with a 4-1 win over Jordan, having beaten Australia 1-0 in their previous match.
This success marks a historic milestone as Indonesia U-23 reached the quarterfinals for the first time. Thailand and Malaysia, however, were unable to replicate the success of Indonesia U-23 and Vietnam. Thailand finished bottom of Group D, while Malaysia was eliminated after just two matches, leaving both teams disappointed.
Read Also: Shin Tae-Yong Brings Indonesia's Football Renaissance, Strikes Worries for Korea's Coach
Quarterfinal Schedule
Tomorrow evening (April 25), host Qatar will take on Japan in the first quarterfinal match at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Indonesia's U-23 national team will take on South Korea in the second quarterfinal match at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha. This match will put Shin Tae-Yong in an interesting situation, as he will have to face his home country.
On Friday (April 26), Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia will battle it out at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan. The final quarter-final match (April 26) will see Iraq take on Vietnam at Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah.
The full schedule of matches can be found here.
Malaysia's Plight at the 2024 Asian U-23 Cup
Malaysia became as the weakest team in the U-23 Asian Cup 2024 after the conclusion of the group stage. They were criticized for their underwhelming performance in Group D. Their defeat to Kuwait in their third match, following losses to Uzbekistan and Vietnam, confirmed this status.
In the three matches played under the coaching of Juan Torres Garrido, Malaysia suffered a string of defeats and ended up finishing at the bottom of the group stage of the 2024 Asian U-23 Cup. The Malaysian national team managed to score just one goal in the three matches and failed to collect any points.
They lost to Uzbekistan (0-2), Vietnam (0-2) and Kuwait (1-2). Malaysia scored only one goal and conceded six during the tournament. These facts made Malaysia the most disappointing team at the 2024 Asian U-23 Cup, especially when compared to the other 15 teams that scored at least one goal and recorded wins or draws.
On-Target Predictions
All 8 teams that have qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2024 Asian U-23 Cup have been confirmed. However, there is an interesting event related to the success of these eight teams in reaching the quarterfinals.
On April 14, the seasia.goal Instagram account accurately predicted the teams that would reach the quarterfinals of the 2024 Asian U-23 Cup.
Despite differences in the points scored in the group stage and the schedule of the quarter-final matches, the prediction was overall successful in identifying the teams that would advance to this stage. But will the prediction of the ultimate winner of the 2024 Asian U-23 Cup also prove accurate? Let us wait and see together!
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