U-23 soccer Asian championship

U-23 soccer Asian championship
Association	AFC
First edition	2014 (U-22)
Teams	16
Game mode	Round tournament (4 groups of 4 teams each) Knockout system (from quarterfinals)
Title holder	South Korea (1st title)
Record winner	Iraq Japan Uzbekistan South Korea (1 title each)
Website	www.the-AFC.com
Qualification for	Olympic football tournament

The U-23 AFC Asian Cup ( English AFC U-23 Championship or AFC U-23 Asian Cup is called) one of the Asian Football Confederation oriented (AFC) tournament for national teams whose players have not completed the age of 23 . The U-23 Asian Football Championship will be held for the first time in 2016 and is the successor to the U-22 Asian Football Championship, which was introduced in 2014. A tournament extends over two years and is also used every four years to qualify for the soccer tournament of the Summer Olympics .

Record winners are Iraq , Japan , South Korea and Uzbekistan with one title each.

mode

In 2013, the participants were determined by qualification groups. The 41 teams at that time were divided into seven groups of six teams each, separated according to western and eastern regions. The group winners and runners-up as well as the best third-placed group automatically qualified for the final round. Since the eventual host Oman was the best third in the group, the second best in the group qualified in its place. The final round started in a group stage. Four teams each form four groups. The group winners and runners-up played from then on in the knockout system . It was followed by the quarter, the half and finally the final. A game for third place also took place.

Before qualifying for 2016, the host country was already determined, which saved the host from qualifying. From a total of ten qualification groups of four (groups A, B and C five teams each), the group winners and the five best runners-up from all groups reach the final round.

At every second event, the AFC determines the three associations that represent Asia in the Olympic football tournament.

Attendees

All national associations that belong to the AFC are eligible to participate in the U-23 Asian Cup. With Bhutan , Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (only associated member) only 3 of the current 47 members have not at least participated in the qualification.

Finals first participations

• Teams in bold won the tournament when they first entered a final tournament.
• Teams in italics were the hosts when they first entered a final tournament.

year	First time participant
2014	Australia	China	Iraq	Iran
	Japan	Yemen	Jordan	Kuwait
	Myanmar	North Korea	Oman	Saudi Arabia
	Syria	South Korea	Uzbekistan	Ver. Arab. Emirates
2016	Qatar	Thailand	Vietnam
2018	Malaysia	Palestine
2020	Bahrain

The tournaments at a glance

year	host		final				3rd place match
			winner	Result	Second place		third place	Result	fourth place
2014 details	Oman		Iraq	1-0	Saudi Arabia		Jordan	0: 0 n.v. 3: 2 i. E.	South Korea
2016 details	Qatar		Japan	3: 2	South Korea		Iraq	2: 1 a.d.	Qatar
2018 details	China		Uzbekistan	2: 1 a.d.	Vietnam		Qatar	1-0	South Korea
2020 details	Thailand		South Korea	1: 0 a.d.	Saudi Arabia		Australia	1-0	Uzbekistan
2022 details

Ranking list

rank	country	title	Year (s)	2nd place		final	Semifinals
01	South Korea	1	2020	1		2	4th
02	Iraq	1	2014			1	2
	Uzbekistan	1	2018			1	2
04th	Japan	1	2016			1	1
05	Saudi Arabia			2		2	2
06th	Vietnam			1		1	1
07th	Qatar						2
08th	Australia						1
	Jordan						1

Varia

competition	places	Stages	Messages 1	Teams	Games		⌀	spectator	viewers ⌀		⌀		⌀		⌀
2014	2	3	41	16	32	073	2.28	034,712	1,085	117	3.66	2	0.06	1	0.03
2016	1	4th	44	16	32	103	3.22	092,447	2,889	107	3.34	1	0.03	4th	0.13
2018	4th	4th	42	16	32	082	2.56	065,850	2,058	109	3.41	4th	0.13	1	0.03
2020	4th	4th	44	16	32	069	2.16	107.402	3,356	098	3.06	2	0.06	2	0.06

annotation

¹The reports submitted on time are counted regardless of whether they were withdrawn or not started before the start of the qualification; including defending champions and hosts.

Web links

• Official website of the U-23 Asian Football Championship