Two red cards, home pressure, controversial calls — Nine men Uzbekistan team triumphs in AFC U17 final amid high drama

In the 40th minute of the match, Nurbek Sarsenbayev received a red card, followed by Miraziz Abdukarimov, who was also sent off in the 45th minute by the Qatari referee. Despite these setbacks, the young Uzbek players did not lose their fighting spirit and entered the second half with an attacking mindset.

In the 50th minute, Muhammad Hakimov converted a penalty, putting Uzbekistan ahead. Then, in the 70th minute, goalkeeper Nematullo Rustamjonov made a series of impressive saves, initiating a quick counterattack. This led to a brilliant solo run by Sadriddin Hasanov, who went one-on-one with the Saudi goalkeeper and calmly slotted the ball through his legs to double the lead.

Despite playing with two fewer men, the Uzbek side managed to hold on to their lead for the remainder of the match, ultimately securing the Asian title.

Led by head coach Islombek Ismoilov, the team had an outstanding tournament overall. In the group stage, they began by defeating Thailand 4-1, followed by a hard-fought 2-1 win over China, which secured both their spot in the knockout stages and qualification for the U-17 World Cup. In their final group match — a formality against hosts Saudi Arabia — they won convincingly, 3-0.

In the knockout rounds, Uzbekistan first overcame the UAE 3-1, then cruised past North Korea 3-0 in the semifinal — an especially impressive result considering North Korea had thrashed Indonesia 6-0 in the quarterfinals.

This marks the second time Uzbekistan's U17 team has claimed the Asian championship title. The first was in October 2012, when under coach Dilshod Nuraliyev, they defeated Japan in the final of the tournament held in Iran, earning the nation its second continental title at any national team level since the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games.