Riyadh: The Uzbekistan national football team won the AFC U-20 Asian Cup on Saturday, beating Iraq 1-0 at Uzbekistan’s Milli Stadium.
The home side owed victory to Umarali Rakhmonaliev, who scored the only goal from a penalty in the 72nd minute.
This is Uzbekistan’s first time winning the cup after reaching the final for the second time, losing in 2008 to the UAE.
Iraq went into the tie having won the cup five times before, in 1975, 1977, 1978, 1988 and 2000. They were also runners-up in 2012.
The two finalists will qualify for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia as a result of their progress in the tournament, alongside beaten semifinalists South Korea and Japan.
