Our team qualifies for the Asian Youth Cup final by defeating Japan on penalties, 5-3/ More

Our youth team qualified for the final of the AFC U-20 Cup, after defeating its Japanese counterpart by penalty kicks (5-3), following a 2/2 draw in the match that took place at the Jara Stadium in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.

Ali Jassim put our team ahead in the 12th minute, Takatora Inaga equalized for Japan in the 83rd minute, Mohamed Jamil managed to score the second goal for the Lions of Mesopotamia in the 103rd minute, and Komota snatched the equalizer in the 117th minute.

The young Iraqi team appeared in a balanced tactical manner, and succeeded in putting pressure on its opponent at the start of the match, and Mustafa Qabil had the first easy opportunity, which was pushed out by the Samurai goalkeeper Haruna.

The Japanese responded with a surprise shot via a direct corner, which was executed in a cunning manner by Riko Yamani, but the ingenuity of goalkeeper Hussein Hassan prevented him from scoring the first goal.

The distinguished Ali Jassim kidnapped the first goal for the Lions of Mesopotamia, after he took advantage of the poor positioning of the Japanese defenses to put his header to the right of goalkeeper Haruna.

Ali Jassim returned to pose a new danger, penetrating from the right with a wonderful individual effort, and playing a cross to Abdul Razzaq Qassem, who hit his shot with high concentration, but the intervention of Japanese defender Yashiki saved the Samurai from the second goal.

Our youth continued their pressure, so Ali Sadiq fired a long-range shot, which was returned by the Japanese crossbar, to be easily followed by Mustafa Kabil into the goal, but the banner of the Omani second assistant referee, Nasser Salim, canceled the goal due to offside.

With the start of the second half, our team maintained its attacking style against the Samurai, and Abdul Razzaq Qasim fired a powerful shot, which was narrowly returned by goalkeeper Haruna.

Haider Abdel Karim missed the opportunity to advance, after entering the penalty area, to play his ball in a beautiful way, which passed by the left post.

The 68th minute saw Japan’s first real attempts after a powerful shot from substitute Kitano, which was brilliantly blocked by Iraqi goalkeeper Hussein Hassan.

Hussein Hassan returned to save our net from the equalizing goal after a distinguished entry into the penalty area for the Japanese Komata, who played his ball strongly, and Hassan brilliantly blocked it.

With the continued Japanese pressure, Takatora Inaga managed to score the adjustment goal seven minutes before the end.

The same player tried to double the score for the Samurai, but his shot went just over the crossbar, so the original time ended in a positive tie (1-1), and the match went to extra time.

And from a wonderful individual effort from Ali Jassim, he passed a perfect ball to Muhammad Jamil, who hit it hard into the Samurai net, two minutes before the end of the first extra period.

The Japanese team snatched the equalizing goal three minutes before the end of the second extra period through Komota.

A penalty shootout was decided by our youth with a score (5-3).

The Iraqi national team is awaiting the final round, the winner from Uzbekistan and South Korea, which will be held this evening, Wednesday.