Uzbekistan beat Iraq 1-0 to win maiden Asian U20 title

Tashkent: Captain Umarali Rahmonaliev scored from the spot-kick in the 72nd minute as hosts Uzbekistan beat Iraq in the AFC U20 Asian Cup to win their first-ever title at this level.

The win means Uzbekistan join Japan, Korea Republic, Saudi Arabia and Iraq as the only nations to have won the Asian title at the U20 and U23 levels and Ravshan Khaydarov’s side will go to the FIFA U20 World Cup in Indonesia in May as the continental champions. 

Both Khaydarov and Iraq head coach Emad Mohammed made two changes to the teams that progressed through the semi-finals, with Uzbekistan leaving out striker Pulatkhuja Kholdorkonov while Ali Jassim, a doubt before kick-off, was named in Iraq’s starting line-up.

Sherzod Esanov and Asadbek Jurboev were selected for the hosts and it was Jurboev who on three occasions went closest to opening the scoring in the first 25 minutes.