The first semi-final between Japan U17 and Uzbekistan U17 was considered an "early final" of the tournament, as both teams were the most recent champions of the Asian U17 Championship. Right after the opening whistle, Uzbekistan U17 dominated the game and created more dangerous opportunities.
The pressure from the Central Asian representatives finally materialized in the 28th minute when captain Motosuna committed a foul in the penalty area. From the penalty spot, Aliyev easily beat the Japanese goalkeeper to open the scoring.
Japan U17 secured a dramatic place in the final - Photo: AFC
Trailing by a goal, the Japanese U17 team struggled to find the back of the net. In the second half, the team from the Land of the Rising Sun changed tactics and increased the pressure.
However, they had to wait until the 90+7th minute to find the equalizer. From a pass by Motosuna, Ezemuokwe's accurate finish sent the match into a tense penalty shootout.
In the penalty shootout, the team from the Land of the Rising Sun showed more composure to win 3-2, thereby eliminating the defending champions, Uzbekistan U17.
In the other semi-final match, China U17 continued to impress by defeating China U17 2-0. Kuang Zhaolei opened the scoring in the 45+1 minute before Shuai Weihao doubled the lead early in the second half.
China U17 reaches the final after 22 years - Photo: AFC
The East Asian representatives controlled the game well for the remainder of the match to secure a 2-0 victory and reach the final for the first time since 2004.
The final of the 2026 AFC U17 Championship will be a highly anticipated clash between Japan U17 and China U17, a match that will be a rematch of the U23 Asian Championship final held in January.
Highlights: China U17 2-0 Australia U17
Watch the AFC U17 Championship exclusively, from May 5th to May 23rd, on TV360 at https://tv360.vn
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/xac-dinh-2-doi-bong-vao-chung-ket-u17-chau-a-2026-2517262.html
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