TASHKENT, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia scored two goals in the second half to beat hosts Uzbekistan 2-0 in the AFC U23 men's Asian Cup final here on Sunday.
Both sides had several chances in the goalless first half but missed them all. In the 40th minute, Saudi Arabia were awarded a penalty, but the referee's decision was later overturned by VAR for an offside.
The Saudis broke the deadlock in the 49th minute when Ahmed Al-Ghamdi unleashed a left-footed hammer from distance. Uzbekistan had the ball in the net in the 71st minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Three minutes later, Firas Al-Buraikan scored from a fast break for Saudi Arabia to seal the victory, winning their first U23 Asian Cup title in history.
Elsewhere, Japan's U23 team beat Australia 3-0 in the third-place playoff of the tournament on Saturday. ■
