DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Uzbekistan qualified for men’s Olympic soccer after years of near-misses by reaching the Under-23 Asian Cup final on Monday. The Uzbeks beat Indonesia 2-0 in the semifinals and will face Japan in the final on Friday. Japan secured an eighth consecutive Olympic appearance by defeating Iraq 2-1. The top three teams qualify automatically for the Paris Games and Iraq and Indonesia will meet in Thursday’s playoff to decide the remaining place. Uzbekistan has had an unlucky run. It won the biennial Asian tournament in the non-Olympic years of 2018 and 2022. In 2020, the team finished fourth, missing out on the Tokyo Games after losing the playoff against Australia. There was no heartbreak this time. Khusain Norchaev scored midway through the second half and Pratama Arhan conceded an own goal four minutes from the end at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium. |
Highlights of Beijing 2022 Paralymic Torch Relay and Flame Lighting CeremonyChina installs deepwater jacket for offshore oil developmentMore potential for SinoOrders surge at China's small commodity hub as Paris Olympics approachesXi Stresses Prioritizing People's Safety, Property in Flood Prevention, Disaster ReliefXi Meets Sogavare, Urging Enhanced ChinaThousands cross Polish border fleeing RussiaChinese dancing master Yang Liping gives performance in TianjinXi Sends Congratulatory Letter to Forum on Civilization and SinologyFloriade Expo 2022 opens in Almere, the Netherlands