Uzbekistan became the first side to clinch a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2004 Asian Cup when they beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in a Group C match in Chengdu, China, on Thursday. The victory followed their opening 1-0 defeat of Iraq and now the Central Asian side have qualified with a game to spare. For the three-time Asian champions Saudi Arabia, nothing short of victory against Iraq on Monday will mean an early exit from the tournament. After an opening draw with minnows Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia's Dutch head coach Pieter Gerard van der Lem was certainly feeling the heat. And it got even hotter in the 11th minute when the Uzbeks opened the scoring courtesy of a long range effort by CSKA Moscow striker Alexander Geynrikh. The Saudis spent the rest of the game in search of an equaliser. Yasser Al-Qahtani worked some space in the penalty area but his effort was blocked by Uzbeki defender Andrey Fyodorov. In first half stoppage time, Ahmed Al-Dosari saw his long range effort fly inches wide. As the second half ticked on, the Saudis looked increasingly desperate. Saod Al-Kaebari beat the outstretched glove of Uzbek keeper Evgene Safonov - but his shot hit the woodwork. And then Hamad Al-Montashari flashed at a shot when more composure was required. Despite further Saudi chances, Uzbekistan held on for a merited 1-0 victory and became the first side to clinch a spot in the Asian Cup quarterfinals. (AP)
Uzbekistan beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Asian Cup
Advertisement