Thailand (blue shirt) lost 0-2 to Saudi Arabia in their second match of group A at the u17 asian cup. Photo: AFC.

In group A, after a 0-2 loss to Tajikistan in their first match, Thailand needed a win against Saudi Arabia to keep their qualification hopes alive. Facing a do-or-die situation, the team under coach Marco Gockel started aggressively, pushing forward in attack.

However, the "War Elephants" (Thailand's national team nickname) conceded unexpectedly in the 4th minute. The hosts effectively executed a corner kick, with Al Yami heading in the opening goal. The Southeast Asian representative then tried to equalize, but Saudi Arabia's defense thwarted all their attacks.

In the 90+1 minute, Saudi Arabia launched a sharp counter-attack, and forward Al Batli scored a stunning goal from outside the penalty area, sealing a 2-0 victory.

Another Southeast Asian representative, Myanmar, also lost 0-1 to Tajikistan. Thus, after two rounds in group A, the two qualification spots for both the quarterfinals and the U17 World Cup went to Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan. Thailand and Myanmar were eliminated early.

Indonesia (white shirt) lost 0-2 to Qatar in their second match of group B at the u17 asian cup 2026. Photo: AFC.

In group B, Indonesia aimed to defeat Qatar to secure early qualification. Coach Kurniawan Yulianto's team launched relentless attacks and earned a penalty in the 15th minute when a Qatar defender handled the ball in the box. However, striker Mathew Baker failed to beat the Qatar goalkeeper from the penalty spot.

After missing their best chance of the match, the Indonesian players paid the price. In the 57th minute, forward Ayokunle Tokode skillfully dribbled past several defenders before scoring a dangerous shot, opening the scoring for Qatar. 9 minutes later, midfielder Dhiaeddine Larbi scored a spectacular goal, securing a 2-0 victory for the West Asian representative.

In the other group B match, Japan defeated China 2-1. After two rounds, Indonesia's chances of advancing are slim, as they must beat Japan in their final match. Meanwhile, China, after two losses, needs to defeat Qatar in their last game and hope Japan secures a big win against Indonesia.

China lost 1-2 to Japan in their second match of group B at the u17 asian cup 2026. Photo: AFC.

The U17 Asian Cup 2026 is being held in Saudi Arabia from 5/5 to 22/5, featuring 15 teams after North Korea withdrew from group D. The teams are divided into four groups, with four teams in each group, except for group D, which now has three teams. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals and secure a spot at the U17 World Cup 2026 in Qatar. If Qatar also reaches the quarterfinals, the best-performing third-place team from the group stage will qualify for the U17 World Cup 2026.

Today, 10/5, Vietnam will play their second-round match in group C against South Korea at 23h, Hanoi time.

Duc Dong