Sixteen teams from across the continent will compete for both football glory and to book a spot at the Paris Summer Olympics at the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024. 

For the second time, Qatar has set the stage for fierce competition at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, where sixteen of the continent’s finest teams will clash for football glory and a chance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Not only will the continental tournament directly qualify the top three teams for the Olympics, but the fourth-placed team will play a playoff match against the fourth-placed team from the African U-23 Cup.

Qatar

Following a thrilling follow-up to the Gulf State’s triumphant hosting of the AFC Asian Cup 2023, Qatar’s young Maroons look to rise in the ranks and claim their place in football history.

Playing on home turf, Qatar’s team relies on home advantage and fan support to compete for the title.

In the opener against Indonesia, Qatar relied on striker Ahmed Al Rawi, midfielder Tameem Mansour Miftah, goalkeeper Amir Hassan, and Jassem Jaber to get the victory, which they did gracefully.

Qatar’s journey in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup has been a rollercoaster. They debuted in 2016 as hosts, qualifying for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics.

Despite a strong start, they lost in the semi-finals to South Korea and finished fourth. Returning in 2018, they defeated South Korea to secure a third-place finish.

However, their 2020 campaign fell short in Bangkok and ended in the group stage, finishing third in Group B.

In the last edition hosted by Uzbekistan in 2022, Qatar was eliminated in the group stage. It earned two points from draws against Iran and Turkmenistan but lost to the host Uzbekistan by six goals to none.

To win in this tournament, the Qatari team must maintain their attacking tempo but ensure a solid defence to defeat the likes of Australia and Jordan in their group.

Yet, despite not being seen as a favourite in the tournament, Qatar aims to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

“The goal of this tournament is to qualify for the Olympics. It is a good exposure to compete with the best teams in Asia, and I believe everyone should make the best of this time whether you’re a coach, player or administrator,” said Qatar’s Coach Ilidio Vale.

“I hope the win of Qatar’s senior national team will be a morale booster for the U23 team, but I want to reassure everyone that there is no pressure on our team. It’s a different competition, this AFC U23 Asian Cup is with different teams and objectives. However, I would like the U23 squad to achieve the same excellent results as their seniors,” he added.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia will begin defending its title at the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qatar 2024, hoping for a winning start against Tajikistan on Tuesday evening.

Defeating Uzbekistan on their turf in 2022, the rising stars of Saudi Arabia expect to have several different goals in this tournament, in addition to one in previous editions.

Saad Al Shehri, who led the side to the AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022 title, expressed that the Arab team expects to do more than just win this year’s tournament.

“Maybe the previous tournament was more difficult because the ultimate aim was to win the cup. For this edition, there are three positions that can take you to the Olympics,” Al Shehri said.

After finishing runners-up twice in 2013 and 2020, Saudi Arabia defeated Uzbekistan 2-0 in the 2022 final to join Iraq, Japan, Uzbekistan, and the Republic of Korea as champions of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup.

“We approach this as a new one. Yes, there are players who participated previously but we also have a new generation who have to make their mark. We hope to start on the right foot against Tajikistan because for Saudi teams, when we start the right way, we tend to finish well,” Al Shehri added.

The 2022 title was won with Saudi Arabia not conceding a single goal in six matches. 

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s star footballer, Khusain Norchaev, will be the man everyone is focused on as he netted six goals ahead of this campaign.

Norchaev follows Iraq’s Ridha Fadhil Mayali (4), Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Radif (4), and Kuwait’s Salman Mohammed (4).

Head coach Timur Kapadze said an opening win against Malaysia will help his team repeat their 2018 title-winning feat and secure a spot in the Paris Olympics 2024.

“We have a concrete target to win this tournament. But the chance is also open to other teams. We have no injuries and we’re ready for the tournament,” Kapadze said.

“Our opening match will be important. We are going for the win, and we’re confident, but at the same time, we will be respectful of Malaysia,” he added.

Uzbekistan have made the final twice. 

Japan

Japanese midfield Kuryu Matsuki captained his country to the semi-finals of the AFC U20 Asian Cup last year and is expected to make a name for himself in this U23 tournament.

Japan stands out for its defence, as it did not concede even once during its qualifying campaigns alongside the likes of Jordan, the Korean Republic, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, and Indonesia.

As the 2016 winner, Japan will face China PR for the first time as they aim for a fifth quarter-final progression.

Japan’s most challenging match in their group will be the UAE, as Sultan Adil will be the star to cover for the Japanese squad.

The 19-year-old striker has become a force to be reckoned with, as he is a dominant attacker and will put the Japanese team on edge.

However, the Japanese team’s combination of defensive and offensive will allow them to elevate to a strong finish in this tournament.