2015 AFC Asian Cup Group B

Football tournament group stage October 2026 Group B of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup was one of four groups of nations competing at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. The group's first round of matches were played on 10 January, the second round on 14 January, and the final round on 18 January. All six group matches were played at venues in Australia. The group consisted of Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, China and North Korea.http://www.the-afc.com/uploads/afc/files/AC_2015F_matchSchedule_FA.pdf Match Schedule AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 AFC 20 January 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20190412180005/http://www.the-afc.com/uploads/afc/files/AC_2015F_matchSchedule_FA.pdf 12 April 2019 live China and Uzbekistan advanced as group winners and runners-up respectively, while Saudi Arabia and North Korea were eliminated. Teams Draw position Team Method ofqualification Date ofqualification Finalsappearance Lastappearance Previous bestperformance FIFA Rankings March 2014nb The rankings of March 2014 were used for seeding for the final draw. Start of event B1 UZB Group E runners-up 19 November 2013 6th 2011 Fourth place (2011) 55 71 B2 KSA Group C winners 15 November 2013 9th 2011 Winners (1984, 1988, 1996) 75 102 B3 CHN Best third-placed team 5 March 2014 11th 2011 Runners-up (1984, 2004) 98 96 B4 PRK 2012 AFC Challenge Cup winners 19 March 2012 4th 2011 Fourth place (1980) 133 150 Notes nb Standings main WDL complete Asian Cup Australia 2015 CHN UZB KSA PRK KO KO 3 0 0 5 2 1 0 2 5 5 0 0 3 2 7 2 0 1 5 3 CHN KSA PRK UZB Q green1 Advance to knockout stage Tiebreakers In the quarter-finals: China PR advanced to play Australia (runner-up of Group A). Uzbekistan advanced to play South Korea (winner of Group A). Matches Uzbekistan vs North Korea Igor Sergeev netted with a fine header just after the hour mark to secure all three points for Mirjalol Qosimov's side as they look to build on their semi-final finish in Qatar in 2011. Uzbekistan controlled large swathes of the game, but were unable to make their dominance tell until Sergeev nodded in Server Djeparov's cross from the left.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-10/uzbekistan-edges-north-korea/6010594 Uzbekistan edges North Korea in rain-hit Sydney 10 January 2015 25 October 2026 Australian Broadcasting Corporation https://web.archive.org/web/20250124154417/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-10/uzbekistan-edges-north-korea/6010594 24 January 2025 liveUzbekistan see off North Korea 10 January 2015 The Australian subscription https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/football/uzbekistan-see-off-north-korea/news-story/9c0e5b2d7dbfd4a50323db14e764c5eb Odil Ahmedov had a chance early on through a long-range shot that went woefully wide, before Timur Kapadze's deflected header came off the post. Rain began to fall in the second half, which created difficulties for both teams. Then, Sanzhar Tursunov aimed a dangerous free kick at the North Korean goal with 10 minutes remaining, while another attempt of his was saved by Ri Myong-guk seven minutes later. Uzbekistan were almost made to pay for it when Pak Kwang-ryong made a powerful header, but Ignatiy Nesterov's stop ensured that the Central Asian representative held on to the win.http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/revolution_soccer/soccer/2015/01/asian_cup_uzbekistan_opens_with_1_0_win_over_north_korea Asian Cup: Uzbekistan opens with 1-0 win over North Korea 25 October 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023930/http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/revolution_soccer/soccer/2015/01/asian_cup_uzbekistan_opens_with_1_0_win_over_north_korea 4 March 2016 live 10 January 2015 18:00 AEDT (UTC+11) UZB 1–0 Report PRK Sergeev 62 Stadium Australia, Sydney 12,078 Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain) _uzb15h _uzb15h _uzb15h _uzb15h _uzb15h FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF Uzbekistan _dpr15h _dpr15h _dpr15h _dpr15h FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 North Korea GK 12Ignatiy NesterovCB 3 Shavkat MullajanovCB 7 Azizbek HaydarovCB 5 Anzur IsmailovRM 23Akmal Shorakhmedov 86CM 18Timur KapadzeCM 9 Odil Ahmedov 72LM 19Vitaliy DenisovAM 17Sanzhar Tursunov 90+2AM 8 Server Djeparov (c)CF 11Igor Sergeev 88Substitutions:FW 4 Sardor Rashidov 72FW 6 Bahodir Nasimov 88MF 10Jamshid Iskanderov 90+2Manager:Mirjalol Qosimov300px GK 1 Ri Myong-gukRB 16Cha Jong-hyokCB 15Jang Kuk-cholCB 3 Jang Song-hyokLB 4 Jon Kwang-ikDM 19Ri Yong-jik 79CM 9 Pak Song-chol (c)CM 8 Ryang Yong-giRW 11Jong Il-gwanLW 17So Hyon-uk 65CF 10Pak Kwang-ryongSubstitutions:FW 12Om Chol-song 65Manager:Jo Tong-sop Man of the Match: Igor Sergeev (Uzbekistan)Trio bag slender wins https://www.fifa.com/world-match-centre/asiancup/news/newsid/250/455/0/ https://web.archive.org/web/20150110134903/http://www.fifa.com/world-match-centre/asiancup/news/newsid/250/455/0/ dead 10 January 2015 FIFA 10 January 2015 10 January 2015 Assistant referees: Yaser Tulefat (Bahrain) Ebrahim Saleh (Bahrain) Fourth official: Ammar Al-Jeneibi (United Arab Emirates) Fifth official: Azman Ismail (Malaysia) Saudi Arabia vs China A late and somewhat fortunate free kick by Yu Hai proved to be the lone goal of the match as Saudi Arabia paid the price for Naif Hazazi's missed second-half penalty against Alain Perrin's side. Both China, who are looking to return to the quarter-finals for the first time since hosting the competition in 2004, and Saudi Arabia failed to qualify for the knockout phase at last edition. Three-time champions Saudi Arabia enjoyed the better moments early on with their technique-oriented game, seeing more time on the ball and pushing China deep into their own half. However, they failed to translate possession into opportunities and could not produce a single shot on target before the intermission.http://www.goal.com/en/match/saudi-arabia-vs-china-pr/1466393/report Saudi Arabia 0-1 China: Yu Hai punishes Hazazi missed penalty 25 October 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20160306100347/http://www.goal.com/en/match/saudi-arabia-vs-china-pr/1466393/report 6 March 2016 live The second half opened gingerly before Saudi Arabia kicked it into a higher gear on the hour mark, Hazazi breaking free down the inside left channel to win a penalty off defender Ren Hang who tackled one step too late. Ren, nevertheless, was bailed out by his keeper Wang Dalei who read Hazazi well from the spot, diving to his left to deny the Saudis the lead as the Chinese half of the crowd at Brisbane Stadium erupted in joy.http://www.albawaba.com/sport/ksa-0-1-china-yu-hai-hazazi-642542 Asian Cup 2015: Saudi Arabia 0-1 China | Al Bawaba 25 October 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20250124112115/https://www.albawaba.com/sport/ksa-0-1-china-yu-hai-hazazi-642542 24 January 2025 live China nearly stung Saudi Arabia right away at the opposite end, Ren forcing a two-handed stop from Waleed Abdullah with a close-range header towards the bottom right corner of the net. The deadlock was finally broken after 80 minutes when Yu's free kick took a wicked deflection off a defender to the wrong-footed Abdullah who, despite a desperate attempt to keep Yu's effort out, saw the ball skip into his net.https://www.arabnews.com/sport/china-stuns-saudi-arabia-golden-goalies-shine-brightly-687406 China stuns Saudi Arabia; Golden goalies shine brightly 10 January 2015 arabnews.com 25 October 2026https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/china-gets-a-lucky-break-over-saudis-20150110-12lpus.html China gets a lucky break over Saudis Vince Rugari 10 January 2015 The Sydney Morning Herald 25 October 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20250124100140/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/china-gets-a-lucky-break-over-saudis-20150110-12lpus.html 24 January 2025 live 10 January 2015 19:00 AEST (UTC+10) KSA 0–1 Report CHN Yu Hai 81 Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane 12,557 Alireza Faghani (Iran) _arabia15h _arabia15h _arabia15h FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF Saudi Arabia _china15h _china15h _china15h FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 China GK 1 Waleed AbdullahRB 2 Saeed Al-Muwallad 68 89CB 3 Osama HawsawiCB 5 Omar HawsawiLB 13Yasser Al-ShahraniCM 14Saud Kariri (c)CM 7 Salman Al-Faraj 36RW 6 Mustafa Al-Bassas 71 84AM 20Nawaf Al AbedLW 18Salem Al-DawsariCF 9 Naif HazaziSubstitutions:FW 10Mohammad Al-Sahlawi 84MF 8 Yahya Al-Shehri 89Manager:ROU Cosmin Olăroiu300px GK 23Wang DaleiRB 5 Zhang LinpengCB 3 Mei Fang 79CB 2 Ren Hang 60LB 10Zheng Zhi (c) 34RM 14Ji Xiang 57CM 15Wu XiCM 11Hao Junmin 69LM 21Yu HaiCF 17Zhang Chengdong 69CF 7 Wu LeiSubstitutions:FW 9 Yang Xu 69MF 20Yu Hanchao 69DF 4 Jiang Zhipeng 79Manager:FRA Alain Perrin Man of the Match: Wang Dalei (China)Shoaib-ur-Rehman Siddiqui China's smash-and-grab tactics work a treat http://www.brecorder.com/sports/other-sports/216327.html Business Recorder 10 January 2015 10 January 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150110182812/http://www.brecorder.com/sports/other-sports/216327.html 10 January 2015 Assistant referees: Reza Sokhandan (Iran) Mohammadreza Abolfazli (Iran) Fourth official: Muhammad Taqi Al-Jaafari (Singapore) Fifth official: Jeffrey Goh Gek Pheng (Singapore) North Korea vs Saudi Arabia Mohammad Al-Sahlawi scored twice in quick succession just after half-time as three-time winners Saudi Arabia kept their quarter-final hopes alive after recording a 4–1 comeback win over North Korea on Wednesday. North Korea's first AFC Asian Cup goal since November 1992 scored after 11 minutes from Ryang Yong-gi had given Jo Tong-sop's side hope of bouncing back from their opening defeat by Uzbekistan in Group B. But after Naif Hazazi equalised for Saudi Arabia before half-time, Al Sahlawi's quick-fire double in the space of three second-half minutes and a late strike from Nawaf Al-Abed ensured Cosmin Olăroiu's side their first three points of the campaign having lost to China PR at the weekend and ended the quarter-final hopes of former semi-finalists North Korea. With both sides seeking their first points of the campaign at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, North Korea made an aggressive start as Sim Hyon-jin was denied twice in quick succession by Waleed Abdullah, with the first from a dipping strike from the edge of the penalty area in the seventh minute and the second a glancing header from the resulting corner.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-14/saudi-arabia-downs-north-korea-4-1/6017660 Saudi Arabia all but eliminates North Korea with 4-1 win 14 January 2015 25 October 2026 Australian Broadcasting Corporation https://web.archive.org/web/20250124131125/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-14/saudi-arabia-downs-north-korea-4-1/6017660 24 January 2025 live Abdullah, though, was beaten just four minutes later as Ryang followed up after the Saudi Arabia custodian could only parry Pak Kwang-ryong's dipping angled volley from Jong Il-gwan's knockdown back out towards the penalty spot. Saudi Arabia looked for an instant response as Hazazi headed agonisingly wide from inside the penalty area six minutes later as Ri Myong-guk's goal came under increasing pressure as the half progressed. And Saudi Arabia equalised eight minutes before half-time as the Green Falcons quickly worked the ball across the edge of the penalty area for Al Abed to tee-up Hazazi, who fired low through the legs of Ri Myong-guk at his near post. The goalkeeper did come to North Korea's rescue three minutes before half-time as the custodian produced a superb one-handed save low to his left to turn Al Abed's equally eye-catching turn and volley around the post.http://www.goal.com/en/match/korea-dpr-vs-saudi-arabia/1466394/report North Korea 1-4 Saudi Arabia: Falcons come from behind to send opponents crashing out 25 October 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20160306040130/http://www.goal.com/en/match/korea-dpr-vs-saudi-arabia/1466394/report 6 March 2016 live But as Saudi Arabia continued to dominate into the second half, Ri Myong-guk was again beaten seven minutes after half-time as Al Sahlawi was on hand to stab home from close range after Abdullah Al-Zori's low drilled cross had taken a fortunate deflection off Jang Kuk-chol and North Korea handed Saudi Arabia a third goal just two minutes later as Jang Song-hyok's overhit backpass caused confusion between Ri Yong-jik and Ri Myong-guk on the edge of the penalty area, and with the defender only able to drill his attempted clearance against Al Sahlawi, the striker simply rolled the ball into the empty net. Al Sahlawi had a chance to seal his hat-trick with 19 minutes remaining, but after racing clear of the North Korea backline and with only Ri Myong-guk to beat, the striker poked his effort wide shortly before being substituted. Saudi Arabia, though, did add a fourth with 13 minutes remaining through Al-Abed, who had seen his penalty saved by Ri Myong-guk after Ri Yong-jik's sending-off in unfortunate circumstances.https://news.yahoo.com/asian-cup-saudi-arabia-eliminates-north-korea-4-094350465.html Saudi Arabia eliminates North Korea 4-1 at Asia Cup 25 October 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20160305053652/http://news.yahoo.com/asian-cup-saudi-arabia-eliminates-north-korea-4-094350465.html 5 March 2016 live 14 January 2015 18:00 AEDT (UTC+11) PRK 1–4 Report KSA Ryang Yong-gi 12 Hazazi 37 Al-Sahlawi 52 54 Al Abed 76 Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne 12,349 Abdullah Al Hilali (Oman) _dpr15a _dpr15a _dpr15a _dpr15a FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF North Korea _arabia15a _arabia15a _arabia15a 007600 007600 007600 007600 007600 Saudi Arabia GK 1 Ri Myong-gukRB 16Cha Jong-hyok 58CB 15Jang Kuk-cholCB 3 Jang Song-hyokLB 4 Jon Kwang-ikDM 19Ri Yong-jik 0 75CM 9 Pak Song-chol (c) 55CM 8 Ryang Yong-gi 87RW 11Jong Il-gwan 1LW 13Sim Hyon-jin 71CF 10Pak Kwang-ryongSubstitutions:MF 21O Hyok-chol 55DF 6 Ro Hak-su 58FW 20Choe Won 90+3 87Manager:Jo Tong-sop300px GK 1 Waleed AbdullahRB 12Hassan FallatahCB 3 Osama HawsawiCB 5 Omar HawsawiLB 4 Abdullah Al-ZoriCM 14Saud Kariri (c) 79CM 7 Salman Al-FarajRW 9 Naif HazaziAM 20Nawaf Al Abed 82LW 18Salem Al-DawsariCF 10Mohammad Al-Sahlawi 74Substitutions:MF 17Taisir Al-Jassim 74MF 15Ibrahim Ghaleb 79FW 19Fahad Al-Muwallad 82Manager:ROU Cosmin Olăroiu Man of the Match: Nawaf Al Abed (Saudi Arabia)Neil Frankland Saudi Arabia eliminates North Korea 4–1 http://www.philstar.com/sports/2015/01/14/1412891/asian-cup-saudi-arabia-eliminates-north-korea-4-1 The Philippine Star Associated Press 14 January 2015 14 January 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150120145002/http://www.philstar.com/sports/2015/01/14/1412891/asian-cup-saudi-arabia-eliminates-north-korea-4-1 20 January 2015 live Assistant referees: Hamad Al-Mayahi (Oman) Abu Bakar Al-Amri (Oman) Fourth official: Ammar Al-Jeneibi (United Arab Emirates) Fifth official: Yagi Akane (Japan) China vs Uzbekistan China returned to the AFC Asian Cup quarter-finals after an 11-year absence with a come-from-behind 2–1 win against Uzbekistan at Brisbane Stadium, their first ever victory over Uzbekistan at any official tournament since the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification, having won only once, drawn once and lost three previous encounters over the Uzbeks. 2011 edition semi-finalists Uzbekistan drew first blood midway through the opening half thanks to Odil Ahmedov, but China turned the tables on the white wolves after the break with goals from Wu Xi and substitute Sun Ke to grab the three points and the first ticket to the second round from Group B. Uzbekistan lie third behind Saudi Arabia on goal difference, with North Korea at the foot of the table. The Chinese came close to breaking the deadlock in the fifth minute, when Wu Lei surged through the middle to latch on to a cross from the left, only to miss by inches. China duly got a taste of their own medicine after 22 minutes when Ahmedov shook off Wu outside the box before letting rip a shot. Wu recovered, sliding in to attempt to block Ahmedov's shot - but only succeeded in changing the trajectory of the ball, which escaped goalkeeper Wang Dalei and bounced into the net.Asian Cup: China 2-1 Uzbekistan Match report 14 January 2015 The Guardian https://web.archive.org/web/20230101034043/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/15/asian-cup-group-b-round-up 1 January 2023 live https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/15/asian-cup-group-b-round-up Uzbekistan took the lead into the break but failed to hold on, as China restored parity on 55 minutes. Striker Gao Lin set things up with a dazzling assist from the right by-line, flicking the ball into the path of Wu who atoned for his first-half deflection by firing home into the bottom left corner to make it 1–1. Alain Perrin's side then moved in front through Sun Ke. Just two minutes after coming on, Sun beat Ignatiy Nesterov fair and square from the edge of the box, curling his shot beyond the outstretched arms of the Uzbekistan custodian to hand China the advantage.https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/2015/01/14/china-beats-uzbekistan-reaches-quarterfinals-at-asian-cup/21738337/ China beats Uzbekistan, reaches quarterfinals at Asian Cup USA Today 25 October 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20231013060829/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/2015/01/14/china-beats-uzbekistan-reaches-quarterfinals-at-asian-cup/21738337/ 13 October 2023 live China were in the ascendancy, and twice came close to extending their advantage, defender Zhang Linpeng missing a completely free shot from the centre of the penalty area and Sun failing to put away a second in a one-on-one with Nesterov. Uzbekistan could not claw their way back into the match before the Chinese supporters erupted after three minutes of stoppage time and the final whistle.https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/china-defeats-uzbekistan-21-in-asian-cup-to-seal-place-in-quarterfinals-20150114-12oarz.html China defeats Uzbekistan 2-1 in Asian Cup to seal place in quarter-finals Phil Lutton 14 January 2015 The Sydney Morning Herald 25 October 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20241214164240/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/china-defeats-uzbekistan-21-in-asian-cup-to-seal-place-in-quarterfinals-20150114-12oarz.html 14 December 2024 live 14 January 2015 19:00 AEST (UTC+10) CHN 2–1 Report UZB Wu Xi 54 Sun Ke 68 Ahmedov 23 Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane 13,674 Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (United Arab Emirates) _china15a _china15a FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF China _uzb15a _uzb15a _uzb15a _uzb15a _uzb15a 0066FF 0066FF 0066FF 0066FF 0066FF Uzbekistan GK 23Wang DaleiRB 5 Zhang LinpengCB 3 Mei FangCB 2 Ren Hang 35LB 4 Jiang ZhipengDM 10Zheng Zhi (c)RM 17Zhang Chengdong 81CM 15Wu XiLM 21Yu Hai 46SS 7 Wu LeiCF 18Gao Lin 66Substitutions:MF 11Hao Junmin 46FW 16Sun Ke 66FW 19Liu Binbin 81Manager:FRA Alain Perrin300px GK 12Ignatiy NesterovCB 3 Shavkat Mullajanov 18 46CB 7 Azizbek HaydarovCB 5 Anzur IsmailovRM 23Akmal ShorakhmedovCM 18Timur KapadzeCM 9 Odil AhmedovLM 19Vitaliy DenisovAM 17Sanzhar Tursunov 71AM 8 Server Djeparov (c) 62CF 11Igor SergeevSubstitutions:DF 20Islom Tukhtakhodjaev 46FW 4 Sardor Rashidov 62MF 15Jasur Hasanov 71Manager:Mirjalol Qosimov Man of the Match: Wu Xi (China)Party time for China after thrilling win http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/150114/football-party-time-china-after-thrilling-win GlobalPost Agence France-Presse 14 January 2015 14 January 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150924052358/http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/150114/football-party-time-china-after-thrilling-win 24 September 2015 Assistant referees: Mohamed Al Hammadi (United Arab Emirates) Hasan Al Mahri (United Arab Emirates) Fourth official: Hettikamkanamge Perera (Sri Lanka) Fifth official: Palitha Hemathunga (Sri Lanka) Uzbekistan vs Saudi Arabia Sardor Rashidov scored twice as Uzbekistan set up a quarter-final match with South Korea after securing a crucial 3–1 win over Saudi Arabia. Uzbekistan had to win to deny Saudi Arabia a place in the last eight and they enjoyed the ideal start at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium as the 23-year-old winger netted inside the opening two minutes. Mohammad Al-Sahlawi did pull Saudi Arabia level from the penalty spot on the hour mark, but after substitute Vokhid Shodiev restored Uzbekistan's advantage 11 minutes later, Rashidov's second of the night with just over 10 minutes remaining saw Mirjalol Qosimov's side secure a fourth consecutive quarter-finals appearance.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jan/18/asian-cup-uzbekistan-saudi-arabia-report Uzbekistan beat Saudi Arabia to reach Asian Cup quarter-finals 18 January 2015 25 October 2026 The Guardian Needing to win to progress from Group B alongside table-toppers China PR, Mirjalol Qosimov made five changes following Wednesday's defeat by China, with captain Server Djeparov, Sanzhar Tursunov, Igor Sergeev, Timur Kapadze and Akmal Shorakhmedov relegated to the bench. And it was one of their replacements who handed Uzbekistan the ideal start inside 90 seconds as Rashidov charged into the penalty area following poor defending by Saudi Arabia, coupled with a fortunate deflection, before coolly guiding his strike through the legs of goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah at his near post.https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/football-uzbekistan-ring-changes-saudi-arabia-clash-091710565--sow.html Football - Uzbekistan ring in changes for Saudi Arabia clash 25 October 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20150118213519/https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/football-uzbekistan-ring-changes-saudi-arabia-clash-091710565--sow.html 18 January 2015 live Uzbekistan remained on top as the half progressed against a shell-shocked Saudi Arabia who continued to struggle to settle into the contest with Cosmin Olăroiu's side, who showed one change from their win over North Korea last time out, only needing a draw to progress at the expense of their opponents. Saudi Arabia did enjoy a brighter end to the first half, although Uzbekistan goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov remained largely untested. The tight nature of the contest continued at the start of the second half, although despite Uzbekistan enjoying the greater share of possession, Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Abdullah was also enjoying a quiet evening following the early goal but the game suddenly swung Saudi Arabia's way on the hour mark as Al-Sahlawi confidently beat Nesterov from the penalty spot after Vitaliy Denisov had been adjudged to have bundled over Naif Hazazi inside the area as the pair challenged to meet Abdullah Al-Zori's left-wing cross.http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/uzbekistan-vs-saudi-arabia/1466396/report Uzbekistan 3-1 Saudi Arabia: Rashidov double sets up South Korea quarter-final 25 October 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20151213231353/http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/uzbekistan-vs-saudi-arabia/1466396/report 13 December 2015 live Saudi Arabia, though, were back on level terms for just 11 minutes as Shodiev, who replaced Jamshid Iskanderov shortly after the equaliser, out-jumped Yasser Al-Shahrani to meet Shavkat Mullajanov's right wing cross, and the striker guided his header back across the face and goal and into the bottom corner with Abdullah rooted to the spot. And with Saudi Arabia pushing forward, Rashidov was found in space on the near side by Jasur Khasanov's superb cross field pass and the midfielder beat exposed goalkeeper Abdullah from inside the penalty area to double Uzbekistan's lead and hand 2007 finalists Saudi Arabia a second consecutive group stage exit.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-18/uzbekistan-through-to-cup-quarters-with-3-1-win-over-saudi-arab/6024022 Uzbekistan through to Cup quarters with 3-1 win over Saudi Arabia 18 January 2015 25 October 2026 Australian Broadcasting Corporation https://web.archive.org/web/20250124105817/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-18/uzbekistan-through-to-cup-quarters-with-3-1-win-over-saudi-arab/6024022 24 January 2025 live 18 January 2015 20:00 AEDT (UTC+11) UZB 3–1 Report KSA Rashidov 2 78 Shodiev 71 Al-Sahlawi 60 pen. Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne 10,871 Ben Williams (Australia) _uzb15h _uzb15h _uzb15h _uzb15h _uzb15h FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF Uzbekistan _arabia15a _arabia15a _arabia15a 007600 007600 007600 007600 007600 Saudi Arabia GK 12Ignatiy NesterovRB 14Shukhrat Mukhammadiev 53 87CB 3 Shavkat MullajanovCB 5 Anzur Ismailov 58LB 19Vitaliy Denisov 59DM 7 Azizbek HaydarovRM 10Jamshid Iskanderov 66CM 9 Odil Ahmedov (c)LM 15Jasur HasanovSS 4 Sardor Rashidov 89CF 6 Bahodir NasimovSubstitutions:FW 16Vokhid Shodiev 78 66DF 23Akmal Shorakhmedov 87MF 17Sanzhar Tursunov 89MF 22Farrukh Sayfiev Manager:Mirjalol Qosimov300px GK 1 Waleed AbdullahRB 4 Abdullah Al-ZoriCB 3 Osama Hawsawi 90+2CB 5 Omar HawsawiLB 13Yasser Al-ShahraniCM 14Saud Kariri (c) 74CM 7 Salman Al-FarajRW 9 Naif HazaziAM 20Nawaf Al-Abed 90+2LW 18Salem Al-Dawsari 62 83CF 10Mohammad Al-Sahlawi 68Substitutions:MF 17Taisir Al-Jassim 74MF 8 Yahya Al-Shehri 83FW 19Fahad Al-Muwallad 90+2Manager:ROU Cosmin Olăroiu Man of the Match: Sardor Rashidov (Uzbekistan)Valerio Veo Strong Uzbeks power past Saudi Arabia into Asian Cup QF http://www.espnfc.com/afc-asian-cup/2243/blog/post/2250487/uzbeks-power-past-saudi-arabia-to-reach-qf ESPN FC 18 January 2015 18 January 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20190410141548/http://www.espnfc.com/afc-asian-cup/2243/blog/post/2250487/uzbeks-power-past-saudi-arabia-to-reach-qf 10 April 2019 live Assistant referees: Matthew Cream (Australia) Paul Cetrangolo (Australia) Fourth official: Ammar Al-Jeneibi (United Arab Emirates) Fifth official: Yagi Akane (Japan) China vs North Korea Sun Ke's brace saw quarter-final bound China complete their first-ever 100-percent record in the group stages of the AFC Asian Cup, after the Group B winners edged North Korea 2–1 at Canberra Stadium. With hosts Australia awaiting in the quarter-finals at Brisbane Stadium, China were set on the way within the first minute by Sun, before he added his second shortly before the interval.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-18/china-completes-perfect-asian-cup-group-stage/6024030 China beats North Korea to complete perfect Asian Cup group stage 18 January 2015 25 October 2026 Australian Broadcasting Corporation https://web.archive.org/web/20201022192635/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-18/china-completes-perfect-asian-cup-group-stage/6024030 22 October 2020 live A Gao Lin own-goal did see North Korea pull one back and So Hyon-uk hit the frame of the goal late on as the Chollima pressed hard for an equaliser, but China were eventually able to see out the third straight win of their campaign. Both sides had entered the final round of fixtures with their destiny's already confirmed with China guaranteed to top the table following wins over Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan, while North Korea's campaign had been prematurely ended following defeats by the same opposition. China coach Alain Perrin stuck to his promise of going for a third successive win by selecting eight of the side who started in the 2–1 win over Uzbekistan, amongst them match-winning substitute Sun making his first start. For North Korea, midfielder O Hyok-chol and defender Ro Hak-su lined-up for the first time with Ri Yong-jik suspended after his sending-off against Saudi Arabia in the 4–1 defeat on 14 January. Canberra Stadium had seen the UAE's Ali Mabkhout score the AFC Asian Cup's fastest ever goal after 14 seconds in the previous fixture against Bahrain and Australia's capital was witness to an explosive start for a second consecutive match. Mei Fang's long ball up from the back was not dealt with by the North Korea backline and Sun nipped in to tuck the ball between the legs of North Korea goalkeeper Ri Myong-guk within the game's opening minute. Emboldened by the early lead China dominated for large periods of the first half, although North Korea did have a few efforts from distance with O Hyok-chol and Jon Kwang-ik having a go from range. And on 39 minutes, Jong Il-gwan had a glorious chance to equalise after his give-and-go with O Hyok-chol saw him put through on goal but the stretching striker could only lift his shot well over Wang Dalei's crossbar. The miss was costly as just three minutes later China went two up with Sun again on the scoresheet. Jiang Zhipeng found himself in space on the flank and his curling cross from the left-side was met with a diving header from Sun at the back post that Ri couldn't keep out. The advantage could have been three just before half-time, too, as Yu Hai's chipped effort lofted over Ri but not Jon on the line who cleared. In the second half, though, North Korea came out determined to haul themselves back into the game and they reduced the deficit 11 minutes after the restart. Pak Kwang-ryong's cross reached Jong in the right-hand side of the area and although the striker's shot was blocked on the line by Zhang Linpeng, the defender's attempted clearance ricocheted off the back of the unsuspecting Gao and into the net. And Jong could have made the scores even just two minutes later as he met Ro's cross with a leaping header from the penalty spot but his attempt soared narrowly over. North Korea continued their second half renaissance and on the 81st minute a scooped pass from Sim Hyon-jin was met on the volley from So and his pile-driver from 25 yards out hit the crossbar at full force with Wang beaten. Jo Tong-sop's side continued to press China in the final minutes but they were unable to make a breakthrough and exited the tournament pointless for the first time in their AFC Asian Cup history.https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/china-beats-north-korea-21-to-remain-unbeaten-in-asian-cup-ahead-of-quarterfinal-with-the-socceroos-20150118-12sogc.html China beats North Korea 2-1 to remain unbeaten in Asian Cup ahead of quarter-final with the Socceroos Lee Gaskin 18 January 2015 The Sydney Morning Herald 25 October 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20161113175952/http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/afc-asian-cup/china-beats-north-korea-21-to-remain-unbeaten-in-asian-cup-ahead-of-quarterfinal-with-the-socceroos-20150118-12sogc.html 13 November 2016 live 18 January 2015 20:00 AEDT (UTC+11) CHN 2–1 Report PRK Sun Ke 1 42 Gao Lin 57 o.g. Canberra Stadium, Canberra 18,457 Abdulrahman Abdou (Qatar) _china15a _china15a FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF China _dpr15h _dpr15h _dpr15h _dpr15h FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 North Korea GK 23Wang DaleiCB 10Zheng Zhi (c) 53CB 3 Mei FangCB 8 Cai Huikang 66RWB5 Zhang Linpeng 81LWB4 Jiang Zhipeng 17CM 17Zhang ChengdongCM 11Hao JunminCM 21Yu HaiSS 16Sun Ke 70CF 18Gao LinSubstitutions:FW 20Yu Hanchao 53MF 15Wu Xi 70DF 6 Li Ang 81Manager:FRA Alain Perrin300px GK 1 Ri Myong-gukRB 6 Ro Hak-suCB 15Jang Kuk-cholCB 3 Jang Song-hyokLB 4 Jon Kwang-ikCM 9 Pak Song-chol (c) 35CM 8 Ryang Yong-giRW 11Jong Il-gwanAM 21O Hyok-chol 80LW 13Sim Hyon-jinCF 10Pak Kwang-ryong 70Substitutions:DF 5 Han Song-hyok 35FW 17So Hyon-uk 70FW 20Choe Won 80Manager:Jo Tong-sop Man of the Match: Sun Ke (China)China success marred by Zheng Zhi injury concern http://www.china.org.cn/sports/2015-01/19/content_34593530.htm China Internet Information Center 18 January 2015 19 January 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150119043941/http://www.china.org.cn/sports/2015-01/19/content_34593530.htm 19 January 2015 live Assistant referees: Taleb Al-Marri (Qatar) Ramzan Al-Naemi (Qatar) Fourth official: Mohd Amirul Izwan (Malaysia) Fifth official: Mohd Yusri Muhamad (Malaysia) References 2 External links http://www.afcasiancup.com/ AFC Asian Cup (Official website) en AFC Asian Cup, the-AFC.com Group B Category:2015 in Uzbekistani football Category:2015 in North Korean football Category:2015 in Chinese men's football Category:2014–15 in Saudi Arabian football