Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Australia and Korea Republic all booked their places in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 round of 16 with a game to spare, as Roshn Saudi League players continued to shine brightly.
The second matchday of Qatar 2023 brought some sad news for Al Shabab and Korea Republic goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu who suffered a season-ending Anterior Cruciate Ligaments injury during training after playing his side’s first match of the competition.
In more positive news, Abha’s Saad Natiq played the 90 minutes and excelled for Iraqi as the Lions of Mesopotamia stunned Japan 2-1 to progress to the next round from Group D before their last game against Vietnam.
Al Wehda’s Craig Goodwin was an unused sub in Australia’s 1-0 victory over Syria which confirmed the Soceroos’ place in the next round. Goodwin and company take on Uzbekistan in a top-of-the-table clash in Group B.
The 26-man contingent of RSL players representing Saudi Arabia celebrated a 2-0 win over Kyrgyz Republic, thanks to a tidy finish at the far post from Al Hilal’s Mohammed Kanno and a fine strike from the edge of the area from Al Ittihad midfielder Faisal Al Ghamdi. The Green Falcons face Thailand in their final match of Group F, having already secured a spot in the knockout stage.
