Matchday Two witnessed 12 more exciting fixtures that produced 19 goals and eight wins, including Iraq’s stunning 2-1 victory against four-time champions Japan and Bahrain’s last-gasp defeat of Malaysia.
Join as we review the matchday with a closer look at the facts and stats that caught the eye.
A 2-1 defeat to Iraq on Friday saw Japan suffer their first defeat in 26 group stage fixtures in the AFC Asian Cup. Before the Group D outing in Al Rayyan, the four-time champions had the longest unbeaten streak in the group stage of the continental showpiece, winning 19 and drawing six of their last 25 matches.
The result – which was Iraq’s first win against the Samurai Blue since a 1-0 victory in the quarter-finals of the 1982 Asian Games – also snapped Hajime Moriyasu side’s 11-match winning streak in international fixtures which had begun in June 2023.
Two Southeast Asian nations met in the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in 52 years when Indonesia took on Vietnam at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha on Friday and it was a first-half penalty from captain Asnawi Mangkualam that helped Shin Tae-yong’s Garuda record a decisive 1-0 win against their ASEAN rivals.
This was also only their third win in the continental competition following the 2-1 victories against Qatar in 2004 and Bahrain in 2007.
Following a goalless draw against Lebanon on Matchday Two, China PR have now played out back-to-back 0-0 stalemates after their opener with Tajikistan also ended scoreless. The result means the Chinese are one of only five teams yet to concede; however, they are also one of just seven sides yet to score.
With Tajikistan and Lebanon also finding goals hard to come by, the two points have China sitting in second place in Group A ahead of their final outing against table-toppers Qatar. With their destiny in their own hands, the East Asians will hope to remain solid at the back while also rediscovering their scoring touch up front.
Five players have so far scored in back-to-back group stage fixtures. They are Sultan Adil (United Arab Emirates), Jackson Irvine (Australia), Mehdi Ghayedi (IR Iran), Aymen Hussein (Iraq) and Akram Afif (Qatar).
Hussein and Afif are the tournament’s leading scorers with three goals apiece, with the Iraqi striker’s double against Japan sealing the biggest shock of the tournament so far.
United Arab Emirates goalkeeper Khalid Eisa made eight saves – more than any other player across the two matchdays – in his side’s 1-1 draw with Palestine on Thursday. The 34-year-old Al Ain FC custodian’s best moment came in the 39th minute as he denied Tamer Seyam from the penalty spot after his side was reduced to 10 men.
Yazeed Abulaila, who helped Jordan earn a point in a 2-2 draw with Korea Republic, and Lebanon’s Mostafa Matar, who kept a clean sheet in a goalless draw with China, both came in at second place with six saves on Matchday Two.
No player won more fouls on Matchday Two than Oman’s Salaah Al Yahyaei who drew seven fouls – of which two came in the attacking third – against Thailand in their Group F outing on Sunday. Despite the attacking midfielder’s best efforts, Oman could only take a point in a goalless draw against the Thais.
Bahrain’s Ali Madan, India’s Suresh Singh, Vietnam’s Pham Tuan Hai and Kyrgyz Republic’s Odilzhon Abdurakhmanov come next on the list, winning five fouls for their nations in their second outings.
Theerathon Bunmathan captained Thailand to a crucial goalless draw against Oman in their second group match of the AFC Asian Cup – thereby earning his 100th international cap for the War Elephants for whom he made his debut at the age of 20 in 2010.
The 33-year-old full-back – who is suspended for the Matchday Three game against Saudi Arabia – has joined an elite club featuring Kiatisuk Senamuang, Teerasil Dangda, Totchtawan Sripan, Piyapong Pue-on and Datsakorn Thonglao as players who have played 100 or more international matches for Thailand.
Saudi Arabia enjoyed a whopping 75 percent possession in their 2-0 win against a Kyrgz Republic side who played a large portion of the Group F outing with nine men on Sunday. That is the most possession a team has enjoyed across the two matchdays in the tournament.
Japan came in at second place in the list but suffered a 2-1 defeat despite hogging 72 percent of possession against Iraq at Education City Stadium.
Uzbekistan’s 3-0 win against India on Thursday saw as many as five shots hitting the woodwork – the most in any match in the 18th edition of the tournament so far.
Jaloliddin Masharipov, Sherzod Nasrullayev and Jamshid Iskanderov hit the woodwork for the Uzbeks while Indian defender Akash Mishra was saved by the bar from scoring an own goal before Rahul KP struck the post for the Blue Tigers.
BY NADEEM FAISAL BAIGA
