Group B of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals closed in the early morning of January 14. Accordingly, U23 UAE and U23 Syria drew 1-1 in the final match. This result helped U23 UAE win a ticket to the quarterfinals in second place in the group.
According to the bracket division, U23 UAE will face U23 Vietnam in the knockout round. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team won the top spot in Group A with 9 full points after 3 consecutive wins, successively defeating U23 Jordan (2-0), U23 Kyrgyzstan (2-1) and U23 Saudi Arabia (1-0).
The remaining quarter-final pair will be the clash between U23 Japan and U23 Jordan. "Green Samurai" shows superiority when they soon won the top spot in Group B after two matches. With an effective ball control style, high speed and impressive squad depth, U23 Japan continues to affirm its position as the top championship contender at this year's tournament.
In the opposite direction, U23 Jordan advanced as the runner-up of Group A. The West Asian team is not too outstanding in attacking ability, but always causes discomfort with their abundant physical foundation, tight defense system and fierce fighting spirit.
In Group C, the two teams that won tickets to the quarter-finals are U23 Uzbekistan (first in the group) and U23 Korea (second in the group). Their opponents will be determined after the last match of Group D ends on the evening of January 14.
AFC U23 Championship 2026 quarter-final schedule:
6:00 PM on January 16th: U23 Japan - U23 Jordan
10:30 PM on January 16: U23 Vietnam - U23 UAE
6:30 PM on January 17, 1: U23 Uzbekistan - CXD
10:30 PM on January 17th: U23 Korea - CXD
