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Copyright © 2024 CGTN. 京ICP备20000184号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466
South Korea's Son Heung-min celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during their clash with Malaysia at Al-Janoub Stadium in al-Wakrah, south of Doha, Qatar, January 25, 2024. /CFP
The group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup has come to a close, and with 16 out of the 24 participating nations qualifying for the knockout stage, there was still plenty at stake in the final matches.
The top two teams from each of the six groups secured automatic berths in the round of 16, while the remaining four spots were filled by the best-performing third-placed teams. In case of a tie between two teams in the group stage, their head-to-head result serves as the first tiebreaker, followed by goal difference, goals scored, fair play points, and, if necessary, a drawing of lots. The same criteria apply to determine the rankings of the six third-placed teams, with the exception of the head-to-head rule.
After all was said and done, the teams that secured their spot in the last 16 of the tournament were Qatar, Tajikistan, Australia, Uzbekistan, Syria, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Iraq, Japan, Indonesia, Bahrain, South Korea, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.
The knockout phase is set to start on Sunday, featuring an enticing clash between Indonesia and the 2015 champions Australia. The victor of that encounter will then go on to face either South Korea or Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals. The Taeguk Warriors face a challenging road to the final, with Iran, who impressively won all three of their group games, being their likely opponents if they advance to the semifinals.
Meanwhile, in the other half of the bracket, Japan and Qatar could potentially meet in the semi-finals, provided they progress that far. The stage is set for an exhilarating journey towards the latter stages of the tournament.