Within a span of a fortnight, the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup has whittled down to its final four.
The title contenders are now down to usual suspects Japan, perennial dark horses Uzbekistan and Iraq, as well as surprise package Indonesia.
Given the U-23 Asian Cup also double as the qualifiers for the men’s football tournament at the Olympic Games later this year, the quartet are now tantalisingly close to booking an in-demand ticket to Paris.
The top three teams will progress automatically, while the loser of Thursday’s third-place match will still have a shot in the form of an intercontinental playoff against African outfit Guinea.
With the semifinals to take place on Monday evening, we take a closer look at each team’s prospects of going all the way.
JAPAN
While they are traditional powerhouses of the continent, Japan have only won the tournament once before — in 2016 — and are, on paper at least, the current favourites.
They have not exactly blown teams away having tasted defeat against South Korea in the group stage, while also making a real meal of overcoming ten-man Qatar in the quarterfinals, yet their talent is undeniable.
While it appears that coach Go Oiwa is yet to settle on his strongest XI, this can also be viewed as a positive given the Samurai Blue have not exactly been affected by his regular squad rotation.
Despite being one of the two players in the squad that have won senior caps, forward Mao Hosoya has been wasteful in front of goal — meaning Japan’s primary threat has actually come from the deeper attackers such as Kuryu Matsuki and Fuki Yamada, while centre-back Seiji Kimura is curiously their current top scorer with two goals.
Nonetheless, the defence and midfield look extremely stable, especially with Joel Chima Fujita and Rihito Yamamoto often dictating possession in the engine room, with Japan every bit a chance of becoming the U-23 Asian Cup’s first two-time champions.
UZBEKISTAN
