Australia U23 wins in a nail-biting match.

On the evening of January 14th, the Australian U23 team came from behind to defeat the Iraqi U23 team 2-1 in the final match of Group D at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.

The Australian U23 team narrowly escaped elimination.

The clash between U23 Iraq and U23 Australia in the final match of Group D at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship ended in the most dramatic scenario possible, with the Australian team staging a spectacular comeback in injury time to secure their place in the quarter-finals.

Before halftime, the game was evenly matched. U23 Australia had more possession, constantly pushing forward in an attempt to score the opening goal, but shots from Overy and Rawlins lacked accuracy or were saved by the Iraqi defense. On the other hand, U23 Iraq played defensively, waiting for opportunities to counter-attack, most notably a long-range shot from Hameed Ali, but it wasn't difficult enough to beat the Australian goalkeeper.

In the second half, the Iraq U23 team unexpectedly accelerated their attack and were rewarded in the 63rd minute. After Aymen Luay sprinted forward and was fouled in the penalty area, the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Faisal made no mistake, calmly finishing to give Iraq a 1-0 lead.

Under pressure to win, the Australian U23 team launched a full-scale attack. This pressure materialized in the 90+1 minute when Rawlins delivered a precise cross for Yaya Dukuly to leap and head home the equalizer, rekindling hope for the yellow-shirted team.

The drama didn't end there. Just six minutes later, in a chaotic scramble in front of the Iraqi goal, Mathias Langeland Macallister reacted quickly and decisively, securing a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory for Australia U23 in the 90+7th minute.

With this result, U23 Australia finished the group stage with 6 points, topping Group D and securing a place in the quarter-finals. Conversely, U23 Iraq suffered a bitter defeat with only 3 points after three draws. In the other match played at the same time, U23 Thailand also failed to make a difference against U23 China and were eliminated, bringing to a close a group that was dramatic until the very last seconds.

Final standings for Group D.

Source: https://znews.vn/u23-australia-thang-nghet-tho-post1619630.html