🎉 Yesterday in Jeddah, China's U23 side stormed into the AFC U23 Asian Cup semifinals for the first time ever after a nail-biting 4-2 win over Uzbekistan in penalties, following a goalless 120 minutes.
Uzbekistan, champions in 2018 and finalists in 2022 and 2024, piled on pressure with 75% possession and 11 first-half shots to China's 2. But China's hero, keeper Li Hao, stood tall with stunning saves, including a full-stretch stop on Ravshan Khayrullaev's rocket.
After trading spot-kicks, Uzbekistan's Mukhammad Karimov struck the bar in the shootout's third round. Li Hao then denied Dilshod Abdullaev, paving the way for Wang Bohao to seal the 4-2 victory. Next up, China will face Vietnam in the semifinals – stay tuned! ⚽🌟
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
