AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023: Four Teams Qualify for Round of 16 for 1st Time

Doha, January 26 (QNA) - The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 will see four teams compete in the round of 16 for the first time in their history.
The teams of Palestine, Syria, Indonesia and Tajikistan were able to pass the group stage for the first time and wrote a new history for their teams at the continental level.
The Palestine national team qualified for the round of 16 after finishing third in the third group with four points, on goal difference behind the UAE national team, which ranked second in the same group, which was topped by the Iranian national team with nine points. The Palestinian national team qualified among the four best teams to obtain third place.
The Palestine national team lost in its first match against Iran by four goals to one, while it tied in the second match against the UAE by one to the same, and won in the third match against Hong Kong by three clean goals.
The Palestinian team is considered one of the most balanced teams in terms of scoring and receiving goals in the group stage, as it scored 5 goals and conceded the same, and its victory over Hong Kong is considered the first victory it achieved in the Asian Cup finals throughout its three participations in 2015, 2019 and current editions.
The Syrian team also qualified after finishing in third place in Group B with four points, behind leaders Australia with seven points, and Uzbekistan in second place with four points, and the Syrian team guaranteed its qualification among the best third-place teams.
Syria started the tournament with a goalless draw with Uzbekistan in the first round, lost 0-1 to Australia in the second round, and defeated India 1-0 in the third round, and managed to score a single goal and receive the same.
The Indonesian team qualified after finishing in third place in Group D with three points, behind leaders Iraq with nine points, and Japan in second place with six points, and the Indonesian team guaranteed its qualification among the best third-placed teams.
The Indonesian national team lost 0-3 in its first match against Iraq, beat Vietnam in the second round 1-0, and lost in its third match against Japan by 1-3, thus having conceded six goals and scored three.
The Tajikistan national team qualified directly after finishing in second place in Group A with four points, behind the leading Qatari team with nine points.
Tajikistan had drawn in its first match against China without goals, lost in the second against Qatar 0-1, and won in the third against Lebanon 2-1, thus having scored two goals and received the same in the group stage.
The four teams qualifying for the first time to the round of 16 are looking to continue their journey successfully to achieve more.
Indonesia will meet Australia in the first match of the round of 16 on Sunday at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Al Sadd. Tajikistan will meet the UAE on the same day at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.
Palestine will meet host Qatar on Monday at the Al Bayt Stadium, while Syria will meet Iran on Wednesday at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in the round of 16. (QNA)