The tournament is currently underway in the United Arab Emirates and is now down to 4 teams battling for the cup from 24 that started the competition. The quadrennial event is currently in its 17th edition and already the defending champions have been knocked out by the hosts.
Points worthy of note:
- This is the first year that the competition would be accommodating 24 teams.
- Previously, there were only 16 teams. Each team in a group plays a single round robin.
- The top 2 teams in each group and the 4 best 3rd teams qualify for the knockout stage which begins with the round of 16.
- There is no 3rd place playoff in the tournament.
Results of the Round of 16
- UAE 3-2 Kyrgyzstan
- South Korea 2-1 Bahrain
- Qatar 1-0 Iran
- Jordan 1(2)-1(4) Vietnam
- Thailand 1-2 China
- Iran 2-0 Oman
- Japan 1-0 Saudi Arabia
- Australia 0(4)-0(2) Uzbekistan
Results of the quarterfinals
- South Korea 0-1 Qatar
- UAE 1-0 Australia
- China 0-3 Iran
- Vietnam 0-1 Japan
Semifinal Matches
- Iran vs Japan (28/1/19)
- Qatar vs UAE (29/1/19)
The final would be played on the 1st of February, 2019.
BY UGOCHI OKORAFOR