Japan roared in the second half to defeat Uzbekistan 2-1 to top Group C of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 earlier today.
Defeat for Uzbekistan did not come at a cost as they advanced as the runners-up with the Group D winners their last eight opponents.
Japan, the four-time champions will avoid defending champions Iran in the quarter-finals. Iran survived a fightback from Afghanistan to top Group D with a 5-2 win.
Uzbekistan will take on Afghanistan in the other quarter-final.
Tajikistan’s dreams of reaching the knockout stage were shattered after they were held to a 1-1 stalemate by Australia in their Group C match.
Saudi Arabia overpowered Malaysia 6-1 in their final Group D match. The result gave Andreu Plaza’s side their first win while Malaysia finished bottom of the group after three defeats.
Japan, who had confirmed qualification earlier, were all business from the start as Kazuya Shimizu tested keeper Abbos Elmurodov with a low drive off a kick-in within the first minute, with Ryoto Kai following suit by shooting wide of the right post.
It was then second-choice Japan keeper Fabio Silveira’s turn to spring into action, diving to save from Muzaffar Akhadjonov’s close-range effort in the fifth minute.
The Central Asian side’s second look at goal two minutes later paid off nicely when an unchecked Shakram Fakhriddinov came down the right flank and tucked in a perfectly-placed shot beyond Silveira’s reach.
The keeper then made two consecutive saves from Fakhriddinov, who continued to find space on the right, before Takehiro Motoishi blazed the ball over the bar twice at the opposing end as Japan pressed for an equaliser to no avail before the break.
Elmurodov made an instinctive save to deny Shimizu’s attempt from distance to kick off the second half and as play shifted from end to end, Silveira denied Sunatulla Juraev before Shimizu’s thunderous strike was palmed away by the Uzbekistan keeper.
Japan levelled on the half hour mark when Shoto Yamanaka weaved past Elbek Tulkinov and fired home, with Shunta Uchimura threatening to add a second moments later when he chipped over the keeper only to see his effort cleared off the line by Akbar Usmonov.
Yamanaka put the East Asia side ahead seven minutes later when he exchanged passes with Yusei Arai and slammed the ball past Elmurodov from the edge of the semi-circle to close Japan’s group stage campaign with a perfect record.
Wary of each other’s strengths, the game between Iran and Afghanistan got off to a cagey start with neither Iran goalkeeper Bagher Mohammadi nor his Afghanistan counterpart Javad Safari called upon to make early saves.
The first effort on target came in the eighth minute, Mohammadhossein Derakshani trying from distance but Safari got his hand to the ball to divert it away.
Mohammadi had to be on his toes to catch a powerful shot from Sayed Mortaza Hussaini in the 11th minute before Behrooz Azimi produced a spectacular bicycle kick at the other end seconds later that sailed just over the bar.
With momentum on their side, Iran took the lead in the 13th minute after Safari parried Amirhossein Gholami’s shot into the path of the onrushing Azimi, who could not miss from close range.
Iran were denied a stunning second goal three minutes later when Moslem Oladghobad picked out the run of Hossein Tayebi with a delicate chip, with the latter turning in mid-air to flick the ball towards goal with his heel, only to see it bounce off the crossbar.
Afghanistan were lucky to avoid going further behind seconds into the restart after Safari’s poor pass went straight to Mahdi Karimi, who had a gaping goalmouth to aim at but steered his effort wide.
Mohammadi, meanwhile, produced an outstanding reflex save to palm away Reza Hosseinpoor’s free-kick, then dived to his left to push away Hussaini’s goal-bound strike.
In Afghanistan’s desperation to find the equaliser, they left gaps at the back which Iran exploited in the 29th minute, breaking away from a corner kick for their opponents with Gholami picking out Hossein Tayebi to knock the ball home.
Iran extended their advantage a minute later when Safari fouled Tayebi inside the semi-circle with the penalty awarded after Video Support review, with the latter slamming the spot-kick home.
Afghanistan, however, refused to concede defeat and pulled one back through Hosseinpoor in the 32nd minute.
Safari’s strike from distance a minute later – which took a deflection off Gholami – set up a tense finale as Afghanistan threw bodies forward in search of the equaliser, only to once again get caught on the counter with Masoud Yousef (36th) and Karimi (40th) settling the contest.
