2023 AFC Asian Cup knockout stage

In the knockout stage, if a match was level at the end of 90 minutes of normal playing time, extra time was played (two periods of 15 minutes each). If still tied after extra time, the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner. This was the second time there was no third place play-off, after the 2019 edition.

The AFC set out the following schedule for the round of 16:^[1]

• R16-1: Group A runners-up v Group C runners-up
• R16-2: Group D winners v Group B/E/F third place
• R16-3: Group B winners v Group A/C/D third place
• R16-4: Group F winners v Group E runners-up
• R16-5: Group C winners v Group A/B/F third place
• R16-6: Group E winners v Group D runners-up
• R16-7: Group A winners v Group C/D/E third place
• R16-8: Group B runners-up v Group F runners-up

The specific match-ups involving the third-placed teams depended on which four third-placed teams qualified for the round of 16:

The top two placed teams from each of the six groups, plus the four best-placed third teams, qualified for the knockout stage.

Group	Winners	Runners-up	Third-placed teams (Best four qualify)
A	Qatar	Tajikistan	—
B	Australia	Uzbekistan	Syria
C	Iran	United Arab Emirates	Palestine
D	Iraq	Japan	Indonesia
E	Bahrain	South Korea	Jordan
F	Saudi Arabia	Thailand	—

Indonesia, Palestine, Syria, and Tajikistan made their knockout stage debut in this tournament.

Round of 16

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

28 January – Al Rayyan (ABAS)

Tajikistan (p)

1 (5)

2 February – Al Rayyan (ABAS)

United Arab Emirates

1 (3)

Tajikistan

0

29 January – Al Rayyan (KIS)

Jordan

1

Iraq

2

6 February – Al Rayyan (ABAS)

Jordan

3

Jordan

2

28 January – Al Rayyan (JBHS)

South Korea

0

Australia

4

2 February – Al Wakrah

Indonesia

0

Australia

1

30 January – Al Rayyan (ECS)

South Korea (a.e.t.)

2

Saudi Arabia

1 (2)

10 February – Lusail

South Korea (p)

1 (4)

Jordan

1

31 January – Doha (ABKS)

Qatar

3

Iran (p)

1 (5)

3 February – Al Rayyan (ECS)

Syria

1 (3)

Iran

2

31 January – Doha (ATS)

Japan

1

Bahrain

1

7 February – Doha (ATS)

Japan

3

Iran

2

29 January – Al Khor

Qatar

3

Qatar

2

3 February – Al Khor

Palestine

1

Qatar (p)

1 (3)

30 January – Al Wakrah

Uzbekistan

1 (2)

Uzbekistan

2

Thailand

1

All times are local, AST (UTC+3).

This was the first time Australia and Indonesia faced each other at the Asian Cup, having last met back in 2010 during the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification, in which Australia triumphed. This fixture was also the first time Australia faced a fellow AFF member in the Asian Cup since becoming AFF member in 2013. It was also the first time since 2007 (4–0 win against Thailand) that Australia faced a Southeast Asian opponent.

Indonesia quickly applied pressure in the first minutes trying to exploit Australia's organisation, but, although Indonesia pressed early, they were brutally punished in the 12th minute when Jackson Irvine produced a run that saw him overcome three Indonesian players before his shot caused Elkan Baggott to unintentionally deflect the ball into his own net to give Australia the lead. Australia scored once again when, from a counterattack, the ball was delivered high by Gethin Jones from Indonesia's left flank and Martin Boyle quickly headed home for the second. Although Australia reduced the tempo in the second half and allowed Indonesia more space, the Indonesians failed to score, and they were again punished in the 89th minute from another run on the left flank. Nathaniel Atkinson's cut piece was followed by Irvine's header; although Ernando Ari managed to save the initial shot, he could not prevent Craig Goodwin from scoring after the save deflected and allowed Goodwin's volley. Australia completed the game in style in the first minute of added time when Harry Souttar capitalised from a set-piece by Goodwin to head home.

Since joining the AFC in 2006, Australia had never lost against fellow AFF members, which was later extended following their win over Indonesia (10 wins, three draws). This result equalled Australia's second biggest win in their AFC Asian Cup history, all 4–0, which happened against Thailand in 2007, India in 2011 and Oman in 2015. This also secured Australia's ongoing streak of advancing to every quarter-finals of the Asian Cup since their debut in 2007.

28 January 2024 (2024-01-28)

14:30

Australia	4–0	Indonesia
Baggott 12' (o.g.) Boyle 45' Goodwin 89' Souttar 90+1'	Report

Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 7,863

Referee: Mohammed Abdulla Hassan Mohamed (United Arab Emirates)

Australia

Indonesia

GK 1 Mathew Ryan (c) RB 25 Gethin Jones  65'  69' CB 19 Harry Souttar CB 4 Kye Rowles LB 16 Aziz Behich CM 14 Riley McGree  61' CM 17 Keanu Baccus  87' CM 22 Jackson Irvine RF 6 Martin Boyle CF 9 Bruno Fornaroli  15'  61' LF 5 Jordan Bos  87' Substitutions: MF 8 Connor Metcalfe  61' FW 15 Mitchell Duke  61' DF 3 Nathaniel Atkinson  69' MF 13 Aiden O'Neill  87' FW 23 Craig Goodwin  87' Manager: Graham Arnold

GK 21 Ernando Ari CB 6 Sandy Walsh  68' CB 4 Jordi Amat  90' CB 3 Elkan Baggott RM 14 Asnawi Mangkualam (c)  35'  58' CM 24 Ivar Jenner CM 25 Justin Hubner LM 20 Shayne Pattynama RF 2 Yakob Sayuri  75' CF 11 Rafael Struick  90+4' LF 7 Marselino Ferdinan Substitutions: MF 8 Witan Sulaeman  58' DF 5 Rizky Ridho  75' Manager: Shin Tae-yong

This was the teams' first ever competitive meeting; having met just twice, both in friendlies, in which the United Arab Emirates won one and drew one.

Despite the Emiratis controlling the match in the first minutes, it was Tajikistan who scored first after Vahdat Hanonov, assisted by Zoir Dzhuraboyev, headed into the net over two Emirati players. The Tajiks then put up an effective defence to neutralise Emirati attacks for the majority of the game, until the fifth minute of second half's added time when, from a set-piece by Ali Saleh, Khalifa Al Hammadi produced a header to equalise for the United Arab Emirates at. Both teams played conservatively through extra time, forcing a penalty shootout. Tajikistan successfully converted all five of their penalties, as Caio Canedo's second shot for the United Arab Emirates was denied by Rustam Yatimov and Tajikistan sealed a historic win.

Tajikistan became the first Asian Cup knockout stage debutant to win a knockout stage game since Japan in 1992. The loss resulted in the worst performance for the United Arab Emirates in the Asian Cup since 2011, when they were eliminated in the group stage.

28 January 2024 (2024-01-28)

19:00

Tajikistan	1–1 (a.e.t.)	United Arab Emirates
Hanonov 30'	Report	Al Hammadi 90+5'
Penalties
Nazarov Hanonov Panjshanbe Soirov Shukurov	5–3	Idrees Caio Lima Saleh

Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 33,584

Referee: Yusuke Araki (Japan)

Tajikistan

United Arab Emirates

GK 1 Rustam Yatimov RB 5 Manuchekhr Safarov CB 6 Vahdat Hanonov CB 2 Zoir Dzhuraboyev LB 19 Akhtam Nazarov (c) CM 14 Alisher Shukurov CM 7 Parvizdzhon Umarbayev  85' RW 15 Shervoni Mabatshoev  85' LW 17 Ehson Panjshanbe CF 10 Alisher Dzhalilov  72' CF 22 Shahrom Samiev  72' Substitutions: FW 9 Rustam Soirov  72' FW 25 Nuriddin Khamrokulov  116'  72' DF 3 Tabrezi Islomov  85' MF 11 Mukhammadzhon Rakhimov  85' Manager: Petar Šegrt

GK 17 Khalid Eisa (c) RB 3 Zayed Sultan  61' CB 12 Khalifa Al Hammadi CB 4 Khalid Al-Hashemi  46' LB 26 Bader Nasser CM 15 Yahia Nader  73' CM 18 Abdullah Ramadan  16' RW 10 Fábio Lima AM 8 Tahnoon Al-Zaabi  84'  90' LW 20 Yahya Al-Ghassani  69' CF 11 Caio Canedo Substitutions: MF 14 Abdulla Hamad  16'  61' DF 2 Abdulla Idrees  46' FW 9 Ali Saleh  61' DF 19 Khaled Ibrahim  61' MF 6 Majid Rashid  73' MF 5 Ali Salmeen  90' Manager: Paulo Bento

This match was the two neighbouring rivals' second Asian Cup meeting in history, with their only encounter dating back to 2015, also their most recent competitive encounter, which Iraq triumphed in a hard-fought match.

Iraq made a bright start, but after just the first ten minutes, Jordan reclaimed control. The Jordanians scored first when, from a misjudged pass by Amir Al-Ammari, Yazan Al-Naimat intercepted the ball in the midfield and sprinted to face Jalal Hassan before bouncing the ball up into the net in the first minute of added time of the first half. Saad Natiq equalised for Iraq from a corner kick in the 68th minute with a header too hard for Yazid Abu Layla to deny. Iraq took the lead in the 76th minute when, from a left flank cross by Merchas Doski, combined with a misjudged header by Yazan Al-Arab, Aymen Hussein delivered a low shot to the right bottom corner of the net. However, Hussein's celebration resulted in his controversial dismissal right after scoring. Jordan equallised in the fifth minute of added time: when a chaotic ball fight in the Iraqi penalty area followed a Jordanian corner kick; Musa Al-Taamari curled the ball towards the net and was denied initially by Jalal Hassan, but Al-Arab soon quickly rebounded the ball home. As the match was heading towards extra time, a Jordanian siege followed and the ball was passed to Nizar Al-Rashdan from Al-Taamari, who then hit a long-range effort that proved to be the final goal of the game as Jordan sealed a historic victory.

This result meant Iraq had failed to advance past the round of 16 for the second time in a row. Meanwhile, this was the first time ever Jordan came out victorious in a knockout stage match in Asian Cup history. Iraq's loss to Jordan was also a shock in the competition, given Iraq's dominant performance in Group D, including a famous 2–1 win over powerhouse and four-time champions Japan.

29 January 2024 (2024-01-29)

14:30

Iraq	2–3	Jordan
Natiq 68' Hussein 76'	Report	Al-Naimat 45+1' Al-Arab 90+5' Al-Rashdan 90+7'

Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 35,814

Referee: Alireza Faghani (Australia)

Iraq

Jordan

GK 12 Jalal Hassan (c) RB 3 Hussein Ali CB 4 Saad Natiq  72' CB 2 Rebin Sulaka LB 25 Ahmed Yahya  54' CM 20 Osama Rashid  63' CM 16 Amir Al-Ammari RW 8 Ibrahim Bayesh AM 17 Ali Jasim LW 7 Youssef Amyn  54' CF 18 Aymen Hussein  45+3'   77' Substitutions: DF 23 Merchas Doski  54' MF 11 Zidane Iqbal  54' FW 10 Mohanad Ali  63' DF 6 Ali Adnan  72' Manager: Jesús Casas

GK 1 Yazid Abu Layla CB 3 Abdallah Nasib  14' CB 5 Yazan Al-Arab CB 17 Salem Al-Ajalin RM 23 Ihsan Haddad (c) CM 21 Nizar Al-Rashdan  90+8' CM 14 Rajaei Ayed  90' LM 13 Mahmoud Al-Mardi AM 10 Musa Al-Taamari AM 9 Ali Olwan CF 11 Yazan Al-Naimat  80' Substitutions: MF 18 Saleh Rateb  90' Other disciplinary actions: FW 20 Hamza Al-Dardour[note 1]  90+6' Manager: Hussein Ammouta

This match was the first time the two teams had faced each other in an Asian Cup, with their most recent competitive fixtures happening during the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification, with Qatar winning one and one draw.

Although Qatar were the stronger team on paper, Palestine forced Qatar to work hard at the first minutes. Palestine scored first in the 37th minute when a pass by Bassam Al-Rawi from midfield was intercepted by Oday Dabbagh, who then overcame two remaining Qatari defenders and shot low beyond Meshaal Barsham. Qatar levelled just before the end of the first half with a corner kick by Akram Afif to Hassan Al-Haydos, who then took a deflected shot to hit home in the sixth minute of added time. Palestine conceded a penalty early in the second half, as Mohammed Saleh foulled Almoez Ali in the box in the 47th minute, before Afif converted from the spot to secure Qatar's win.

29 January 2024 (2024-01-29)

19:00

Qatar	2–1	Palestine
Al-Haydos 45+6' Afif 49' (pen.)	Report	Dabbagh 37'

Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor

Attendance: 63,753

Referee: Ma Ning (China)

Qatar

Palestine

GK 22 Meshaal Barsham CB 15 Bassam Al-Rawi  46' CB 16 Boualem Khoukhi  46' CB 12 Lucas Mendes RM 2 Pedro Miguel CM 10 Hassan Al-Haydos (c)  59' CM 20 Ahmed Fatehi CM 24 Jassem Gaber  89' LM 4 Mohammed Waad CF 19 Almoez Ali CF 11 Akram Afif Substitutions: DF 5 Tarek Salman  46' FW 25 Ahmed Al Ganehi  46' MF 6 Abdulaziz Hatem  59' DF 3 Al-Mahdi Ali Mukhtar  89' Manager: Tintín Márquez

GK 22 Rami Hamadeh RB 7 Musab Al-Battat (c) CB 15 Michel Termanini CB 5 Mohammed Saleh  48' LB 12 Camilo Saldaña RM 9 Tamer Seyam  15'  58' CM 6 Oday Kharoub  75' CM 18 Amid Mahajna  85' LM 10 Mahmoud Abu Warda CF 20 Zaid Qunbar  83' CF 11 Oday Dabbagh Substitutions: MF 21 Islam Batran  58' MF 3 Mohammed Rashid  75' FW 13 Shehab Qunbar  83' Manager: Makram Daboub

This match was the first ever meeting in an Asian Cup between Uzbekistan and Thailand. In their most recent competitive meeting, which happened in the earlier tournament's qualification, Uzbekistan claimed the win.

Uzbekistan started strongly and scored first in the 37th minute, when from a delivery from Diyor Kholmatov, Azizbek Turgunboev volleyed home to give the Uzbeks the lead. Thailand responded in a rare attacking opportunity as the Uzbeks lowered the tempo in the second half, when Theerathon Bunmathan intercepted a throw-in by the Uzbeks and passed to Supachok Sarachat, who then dribbled past several of Uzbek players before passing to Supachai Chaided, who curled the ball into the net to equalise in the 58th minute. Just seven minutes after Thailand equalised, Uzbekistan retook the lead from an attack on Thailand's right flank; the ball was given to Jaloliddin Masharipov, whose cut-piece to Abbosbek Fayzullaev allowed him to take a difficult shot into the right corner, giving Thai goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai no chance to respond.

With this result, Uzbekistan won their first Asian Cup knockout stage game since 2011, which was also hosted by Qatar, while Thailand remained winless in their Asian Cup knockout stage fixtures. In personal record, this match was the first time Srečko Katanec managed to win a knockout stage game in any competitive tournament, having failed to do so as coach of Slovenia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq.

30 January 2024 (2024-01-30)

14:30

Uzbekistan	2–1	Thailand
Turgunboev 37' Fayzullaev 65'	Report	Supachok 58'

Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah

Attendance: 18,691

Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia)

Uzbekistan

Thailand

GK 1 Utkir Yusupov CB 25 Abdukodir Khusanov  87' CB 15 Umar Eshmurodov CB 5 Rustam Ashurmatov RM 11 Oston Urunov  67' CM 9 Odiljon Hamrobekov CM 6 Diyor Kholmatov LM 4 Farrukh Sayfiev RF 22 Abbosbek Fayzullaev  90+1' CF 19 Azizbek Turgunboev  81' LF 10 Jaloliddin Masharipov (c)  82' Substitutions: MF 20 Khojimat Erkinov  67' DF 26 Zafarmurod Abdurakhmatov  81' MF 8 Jamshid Iskanderov  82' MF 14 Jamshid Boltaboev  90+1' Manager: Srečko Katanec

GK 23 Patiwat Khammai RB 12 Nicholas Mickelson CB 17 Pansa Hemviboon CB 4 Elias Dolah LB 3 Theerathon Bunmathan (c) CM 18 Weerathep Pomphan  82' CM 6 Sarach Yooyen  82' RW 14 Rungrath Poomchantuek  73' AM 24 Worachit Kanitsribampen  46' LW 19 Pathompol Charoenrattanapirom  46' CF 9 Supachai Chaided Substitutions: FW 10 Suphanat Mueanta  46' MF 7 Supachok Sarachat  46' MF 22 Channarong Promsrikaew  73' MF 25 Peeradon Chamratsamee  82' MF 8 Picha Autra  82' Manager: Masatada Ishii

The two teams faced off in their first match together at the Asian Cup since 2007, when both teams were held to a 1–1 draw; while their most recent competitive meetings dated back to the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, where South Korea won 2–0 on aggregate. In personal records, this marked the first time Roberto Mancini and Jürgen Klinsmann faced each other as coaches in a competitive tournament, having met as players in the opening game of the UEFA Euro 1988 between West Germany and Italy, which also ended in a 1–1 draw, in which Mancini scored the opening goal of the match for Italy.

After a goalless first half, Saudi Arabia scored first when Salem Al-Dawsari's pass allowed Abdullah Radif to make a deep run through the South Korean defence before hitting home at the left of the net to give Saudi Arabia the lead in the first minute of second half. The South Koreans scored a late goal to equalise when from Son Heung-min's long pass, Kim Tae-hwan passed to Seol Young-woo, whose header was received by Cho Gue-sung. Cho scored for South Korea in the ninth minute of injury time. Neither Saudi Arabia or South Korea were able to score again in added time, forcing the game to go to penalties. South Korean goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo turned hero for his team with two saves against Sami Al-Najei and Abdulrahman Ghareeb, while his South Korean teammates converted all of their penalties to secure South Korea's progression to the quarter-finals.

This marked South Korea's first triumph over Saudi Arabia in the Asian Cup. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia failed to win a knockout stage game since 2007, the last time they reached the final.

30 January 2024 (2024-01-30)

19:00

Saudi Arabia	1–1 (a.e.t.)	South Korea
Radif 46'	Report	Cho Gue-sung 90+9'
Penalties
Kanno Abdulhamid Al-Najei Ghareeb	2–4	Son Heung-min Kim Young-gwon Cho Gue-sung Hwang Hee-chan

Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 42,389

Referee: Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)

Saudi Arabia

South Korea

GK 22 Ahmed Al-Kassar  90+5' CB 17 Hassan Al-Tambakti  108' CB 4 Ali Lajami CB 5 Ali Al-Bulaihi RM 12 Saud Abdulhamid CM 15 Abdullah Al-Khaibari  105' CM 23 Mohamed Kanno LM 24 Nasser Al-Dawsari  72' RF 25 Mohammed Al-Breik  120+1'[note 2]  89' CF 11 Saleh Al-Shehri  46' LF 10 Salem Al-Dawsari (c)  84' Substitutions: FW 20 Abdullah Radif  46' MF 6 Eid Al-Muwallad  113'  72' MF 18 Abdulrahman Ghareeb  84' DF 13 Hassan Kadesh  89' DF 3 Awn Al-Saluli  105' MF 16 Sami Al-Najei  108' Manager: Roberto Mancini

GK 21 Jo Hyeon-woo CB 15 Jung Seung-hyun  64' CB 4 Kim Min-jae  117' CB 19 Kim Young-gwon  49' RM 23 Kim Tae-hwan CM 10 Lee Jae-sung  64' CM 6 Hwang In-beom  104' CM 18 Lee Kang-in  114' LM 22 Seol Young-woo CF 17 Jeong Woo-yeong  54' CF 7 Son Heung-min (c) Substitutions: FW 11 Hwang Hee-chan  54' FW 9 Cho Gue-sung  64' MF 5 Park Yong-woo  64' MF 8 Hong Hyun-seok  104' MF 16 Park Jin-seop  117' Manager: Jürgen Klinsmann

The two teams met each other for the first time in the AFC Asian Cup since the 2004 semi-final, when Japan won in a thrilling encounter. In terms of other competitive fixtures, this was the first time since the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification that they met each other, with each claiming one win.

Although Bahrain attempted to pressure Japan at the first minutes, Bahrain failed to capitalise on their opportunities before being punished in the 31st minute when, from a long-range shot by Seiya Maikuma that hit the right post, Ritsu Dōan was able to score from the deflected ball despite frantic attempts by Bahraini players. The situation turned increasingly favourable for Japan when,four minutes into the second half, Hazza Ali misjudged the movement of Dōan before delivering the ball to Takefusa Kubo, breaking the Bahraini offside trap and allowing Kubo to score Japan's second goal after VAR confirmation. Bahrain scored in the 64th minute when from a corner kick by Kamil Al-Aswad, Sayed Baqer's header forced Zion Suzuki to save, but when the ball went high, miscommunication between Suzuki and Ayase Ueda resulted in an own goal credited to Ueda. Ueda redeemed himself in the 72nd minute when from a set-piece, the ball was given to Maikuma before he passed to Ueda; Ueda made a smart move to break through the Bahraini defenders surrounding him at the left flank, before taking a shot over Ebrahim Lutfalla to secure Japan's win.

This win meant Japan had managed to reach the quarter-finals of every AFC Asian Cup since 1996, the year where the quarter-finals was first introduced. On the other hand, Bahrain had failed to find a win in a knockout stage match since 2004 (2–2 against Uzbekistan before winning 4–3 on penalties).

31 January 2024 (2024-01-31)

14:30

Bahrain	1–3	Japan
Ueda 64' (o.g.)	Report	Dōan 31' Kubo 49' Ueda 72'

Al Thumama Stadium, Doha

Attendance: 31,832

Referee: Ahmad Al-Ali (Kuwait)

Bahrain

Japan

GK 22 Ebrahim Lutfalla RB 18 Mohamed Adel CB 4 Sayed Baqer CB 3 Waleed Al Hayam (c)  79' LB 19 Hazza Ali  90+2' CM 10 Kamil Al-Aswad  77' CM 6 Mohamed Al-Hardan  77' CM 15 Jasim Al-Shaikh  90+2' AM 7 Ali Madan AM 8 Mohamed Marhoon  64' CF 9 Abdulla Yusuf Helal  52' Substitutions: FW 20 Mahdi Al-Humaidan  64' MF 13 Moses Atede  77' FW 14 Abdullah Al-Hashash  77' DF 23 Abdullah Al-Khalasi  90+2' MF 24 Jasim Khelaif  90+2' Manager: Juan Antonio Pizzi

GK 23 Zion Suzuki RB 16 Seiya Maikuma  57' CB 4 Ko Itakura CB 22 Takehiro Tomiyasu LB 19 Yūta Nakayama CM 20 Takefusa Kubo  68' CM 6 Wataru Endō (c) CM 17 Reo Hatate  35' AM 10 Ritsu Dōan  80' AM 13 Keito Nakamura  68' CF 9 Ayase Ueda  80' Substitutions: MF 5 Hidemasa Morita  35' MF 8 Takumi Minamino  68' MF 7 Kaoru Mitoma  68' FW 18 Takuma Asano  80' DF 15 Kōki Machida  80' Manager: Hajime Moriyasu

This match was the two teams' first ever Asian Cup encounter in 44 years, with Iran held to a goalless draw in Syria's debut at the 1980 Asian Cup. However, they had met in the recent fixture during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, which Iran won 4–0 on aggregate.

Iran began the match brightly, but struggled to break down the Syrian defence until the 32nd minute when, from a high lob by Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mehdi Taremi received the ball in the box. Syrian defender Aiham Ousou pulled Taremi on the ground, granting Iran a penalty kick. Taremi scored the spot kick to give Iran the lead. Syria would then gain a similar penalty in the second half when, from another lob by Omar Khribin combined with a misjudged header from Shojae Khalilzadeh, Pablo Sabbag made a deep run before being fouled by Alireza Beiranvand. A lengthy VAR check confirmed a penalty which Khribin converted in the 64th minute. Momentum moved in the direction of Syria when Taremi received a second yellow card due to a foul against Alaa Al Dali. Despite this numerical advantage however, Syria could not capitalise and this proved to be costly for the Syrians when the game headed to the sudden death, as ten-men Iran managed to convert all five penalty kicks, while Fahd Youssef missed the second penalty for Syria to end his team's run.

31 January 2024 (2024-01-31)

19:00

Iran	1–1 (a.e.t.)	Syria
Taremi 34' (pen.)	Report	Khribin 64' (pen.)
Penalties
Ansarifard Rezaeian Ebrahimi Torabi Hajsafi	5–3	Sabbag Youssef Ousou Al Dali

Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha

Attendance: 8,720

Referee: Kim Jong-hyeok (South Korea)

Iran

Syria

GK 1 Alireza Beiranvand  62' RB 23 Ramin Rezaeian CB 15 Rouzbeh Cheshmi CB 4 Shojae Khalilzadeh  16' LB 3 Ehsan Hajsafi (c) CM 6 Saeid Ezatolahi  71' CM 14 Saman Ghoddos  63' RW 7 Alireza Jahanbakhsh  74' AM 9 Mehdi Taremi  81'   90+1' LW 18 Mehdi Ghayedi  63' CF 20 Sardar Azmoun  90+8' Substitutions: MF 21 Mohammad Mohebi  72'  63' MF 8 Omid Ebrahimi  63' MF 17 Ali Gholizadeh  74'  119' FW 10 Karim Ansarifard  90+8' MF 16 Mehdi Torabi  119' Manager: Amir Ghalenoei

GK 22 Ahmad Madania RB 24 Abdul Rahman Weiss CB 2 Aiham Ousou CB 13 Thaer Krouma LB 3 Moayad Ajan RM 25 Mahmoud Al Aswad  24'  58' CM 18 Jalil Elías CM 4 Ezequiel Ham LM 12 Ammar Ramadan  87' CF 7 Omar Khribin (c)  87' CF 21 Ibrahim Hesar  90+8' Substitutions: FW 11 Pablo Sabbag  58' MF 17 Fahd Youssef  87' FW 9 Alaa Al Dali  87' Manager: Héctor Cúper

This was the first ever Asian Cup meeting between the two, with their most recent competitive fixture occurring at the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, in which they were held to a 1–1 draw. As none of these teams had ever reached the semi-finals, the winners of this fixture would create history.

Jordan proved more dominant than Tajikistan at the first half, but failed to convert any of their chances into goal while Tajikistan also proved dangerous, although Tajikistan could not capitalise on it either. After a goalless first half, the Jordanians finally broke through, albeit aided by luck when, from a corner kick at the 66th minute by Mahmoud Al-Mardi, Abdallah Nasib triumphantly headed, but it hit the back of Vahdat Hanonov before going home to give Jordan the first and, turn out, the only goal of the match as Jordan secured the hard-fought 1–0 win.

This result put an end to Tajikistan's dream run in their debut. Meanwhile, this was historic for Jordan as they managed to advance to the Asian Cup semi-finals for the first time ever.

2 February 2024 (2024-02-02)

14:30

Tajikistan	0–1	Jordan
	Report	Hanonov 66' (o.g.)

Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 35,530

Referee: Fu Ming (China)

Tajikistan

Jordan

GK 1 Rustam Yatimov RB 5 Manuchekhr Safarov CB 6 Vakhdat Khanonov CB 2 Zoir Dzhuraboyev LB 19 Akhtam Nazarov (c) CM 14 Alisher Shukurov  79' CM 7 Parvizdzhon Umarbayev RW 15 Shervoni Mabatshoev LW 17 Ehson Panjshanbe CF 22 Shahrom Samiev  29' CF 10 Alisher Dzhalilov  77' Substitutions: FW 9 Rustam Soirov  29'  82' FW 25 Nuriddin Khamrokulov  77' MF 20 Alidzhoni Ayni  82' Manager: Petar Šegrt

GK 1 Yazid Abu Layla CB 3 Abdallah Nasib CB 5 Yazan Al-Arab CB 17 Salem Al-Ajalin  68' RM 23 Ihsan Haddad (c) CM 14 Rajaei Ayed  72'  89' CM 8 Noor Al-Rawabdeh  79' LM 13 Mahmoud Al-Mardi  80' RF 10 Musa Al-Taamari  90+6' CF 11 Yazan Al-Naimat  89' LF 9 Ali Olwan  83' Substitutions: MF 15 Ibrahim Sadeh  79' DF 2 Mohammad Abu Hashish  80' MF 25 Anas Al-Awadat  89' MF 26 Fadi Awad  89' MF 24 Yousef Abu Jalboush  90+6' Manager: Hussein Ammouta

This was their fourth meeting in the AFC Asian Cup, and the first one since 2015, during which Australia lost to South Korea at the group stage, only to triumph at the final to win Australia's only Asian Cup title to date.

Despite South Korea dominating possession, it was the Australians who grabbed more dangerous chances to score at the first place, and Australia got the reward at the 42nd minute when, from a failed clearance by Hwang In-beom, Craig Goodwin intercepted before a number of inside the box pass by Mitchell Duke, Connor Metcalfe and Nathaniel Atkinson saw Atkinson's fickled to Goodwin for a volley to open the scoring. Australia then put up a fierce resistance to neutralise the South Koreans but, as the game was thought to be over, a foul by Lewis Miller on Son Heung-min as the South Korean talisman was dribbling into the box right at the fourth minute of added time granted a penalty, which Hwang Hee-chan did not waste it to push the game to extra time. Son then overturned the game in South Korea's favour when from yet another Miller's foul on Hwang Hee-chan, he took a brilliant free kick home at the 104th minute. Following a dangerous foul by Aiden O'Neill on Hwang Hee-chan at the added minutes of the extra time's first half, O'Neill was sent off, killing any hope for an Australian comeback.

It was the first time that South Korea managed to defeat Australia in a decisive knockout stage match of a competitive tournament, having only won just two competitive fixtures at the group stage. In personal record, Graham Arnold had lost all three quarter-finals fixtures at the Asian Cup as coach of Australia (lost 4–3 on penalties to Japan in 2007 and lost 1–0 to the United Arab Emirates in 2019).

2 February 2024 (2024-02-02)

18:30

Australia	1–2 (a.e.t.)	South Korea
Goodwin 42'	Report	Hwang Hee-chan 90+6' (pen.) Son Heung-min 104'

Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah

Attendance: 39,632

Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)

Australia

South Korea

GK 1 Mathew Ryan (c) RB 3 Nathaniel Atkinson  73' CB 19 Harry Souttar  45+1' CB 4 Kye Rowles LB 16 Aziz Behich DM 17 Keanu Baccus  70' CM 8 Connor Metcalfe  70' CM 22 Jackson Irvine RW 6 Martin Boyle  87' LW 23 Craig Goodwin  73' CF 15 Mitchell Duke  92' Substitutions: MF 14 Riley McGree  70' MF 13 Aiden O'Neill  105+4'  70' DF 5 Jordan Bos  73' DF 20 Lewis Miller  73' DF 21 Cameron Burgess  87' FW 9 Bruno Fornaroli  92' Manager: Graham Arnold

GK 21 Jo Hyeon-woo RB 23 Kim Tae-hwan  85' CB 4 Kim Min-jae  90+1' CB 19 Kim Young-gwon LB 22 Seol Young-woo CM 5 Park Yong-woo  105' CM 6 Hwang In-beom  77' RW 18 Lee Kang-in  120+1' AM 7 Son Heung-min (c) LW 11 Hwang Hee-chan  105' CF 9 Cho Gue-sung  69' Substitutions: MF 10 Lee Jae-sung  69' MF 8 Hong Hyun-seok  77' MF 26 Yang Hyun-jun  85' MF 16 Park Jin-seop  105' FW 20 Oh Hyeon-gyu  105' MF 17 Jung Seung-hyun  120+1' Manager: Jürgen Klinsmann

This was the fifth Asian Cup meeting between Iran and Japan, two Asian football powerhouses, with their most recent Asian Cup meeting occurring in the previous edition's semi-final, where Japan won 3–0. Iran had never managed to defeat nor even score a goal against Japan in all of four Asian Cup meetings (two draws, two losses).

The match started on the bright note for Japan as the Japanese applied immense pressure against Iran and forced Iran on the defence. Ultimately, from a howling defence by the Iranians at the 28th minute, an unmarked Hidemasa Morita soloed over four Iranian players before produced a shot, which hit the foot of Alireza Beiranvand before going into the net to secure Japan's lead at the first half. However, Iran put up a strong fight back on the second half and it was Iran who applied pressure on Japan in the surprise. Ultimately, Iran got the reward at the 55th minute when Mohammad Mohebi capitalised from Sardar Azmoun's pass to neutralise Japan's offside trap before thunderously scored to put the game to a draw. Iran did not reduce the pressure later on, and as the match was heading to extra time, miscommunication between Kō Itakura and Takehiro Tomiyasu at the third minute of injury time allowed Hossein Kanaanizadegan to sneak in, forced Itakura to commit a foul and thus Iran got the penalty. Alireza Jahanbakhsh successfully converted later on as Iran secured a historic win over the 2019 finalists.

This result was the first time in the Asian Cup that Iran managed to score and won against Japan. Meanwhile, this result marked Japan's worst performance in the Asian Cup since making their debut in 1988, with three wins and two losses. Worse, it was the first time ever that Japan failed to keep a shutout in an Asian Cup tournament.

3 February 2024 (2024-02-03)

14:30

Iran	2–1	Japan
Mohebi 55' Jahanbakhsh 90+6' (pen.)	Report	Morita 28'

Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan

Attendance: 35,640

Referee: Ma Ning (China)

Iran

Japan

GK 1 Alireza Beiranvand RB 23 Ramin Rezaeian CB 13 Hossein Kanaanizadegan CB 4 Shojae Khalilzadeh LB 5 Milad Mohammadi CM 14 Saman Ghoddos  90+8' CM 6 Saeid Ezatolahi RW 7 Alireza Jahanbakhsh (c) AM 8 Omid Ebrahimi LW 21 Mohammad Mohebi  90+8' CF 20 Sardar Azmoun  90+9' Substitutions: MF 15 Rouzbeh Cheshmi  90+8' MF 16 Mehdi Torabi  90+8' FW 10 Karim Ansarifard  90+9' Manager: Amir Ghalenoei

GK 23 Zion Suzuki RB 16 Seiya Maikuma CB 4 Kō Itakura  24' CB 22 Takehiro Tomiyasu LB 21 Hiroki Itō DM 6 Wataru Endō (c) CM 20 Takefusa Kubo  67' CM 5 Hidemasa Morita  90+9' RW 10 Ritsu Dōan  90+8' LW 25 Daizen Maeda  67' CF 9 Ayase Ueda  48' Substitutions: MF 7 Kaoru Mitoma  67' MF 8 Takumi Minamino  67' FW 18 Takuma Asano  90+8' FW 11 Mao Hosoya  90+9' Manager: Hajime Moriyasu

This was their first meeting at the Asian Cup since 2011, which was also hosted by Qatar; in the 2011 opening fixture, Qatar lost 2–0 to Uzbekistan. The most recent competitive fixtures between them occurred during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, which also ended with Uzbekistan claiming two 1–0 victories.

The match started in an unexpected note that favoured Qatar when at the 27th minute, from a throw-in in Uzbekistan's left flank, Almoez Ali's backheel for Hassan Al-Haydos saw Qatar's captain sprung before took a shot; Utkir Yusupov's attempt to punch it away instead deflected to the net to give the hosts the lead. However, Uzbekistan would reduce the deficit at the 59th minute when, from a direct counterattack, connected headers by the Uzbeks combined with Qatari defenders' misjudgements of Uzbekistani players' movement allowed Odiljon Hamrobekov to sprint over the Qatari defenders before he took a lethal shot that gave no chance for Meshaal Barsham to deny. After this goal, Qatar and Uzbekistan were unwilling to commit further for frontal attacks, which extended to even the extra time, pushing the game into the sudden death. On the spot, Meshaal Barsham proved to be the better one with his movement predictions better than the Uzbekistani counterpart, as Qatar went on to win the game 3–2 on penalties to reach the semi-finals.

3 February 2024 (2024-02-03)

18:30

Qatar	1–1 (a.e.t.)	Uzbekistan
Yusupov 27' (o.g.)	Report	Hamrobekov 59'
Penalties
Afif Ali Mukhtar Al-Brake Pedro	3–2	Shukurov Ashurmatov Umarov Abdurakhmatov Masharipov

Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor

Attendance: 58,791

Referee: Kim Hee-gon (South Korea)

Qatar

Uzbekistan

GK 22 Meshaal Barsham  46' CB 5 Tarek Salman  90' CB 3 Al-Mahdi Ali Mukhtar CB 12 Lucas Mendes RWB 2 Pedro Miguel  105' LWB 4 Mohammed Waad  108' CM 24 Jassem Gaber  81' CM 20 Ahmed Fatehi  104' CM 10 Hassan Al-Haydos (c)  54' CF 19 Almoez Ali  90+1' CF 11 Akram Afif Substitutions: FW 13 Khalid Muneer  89'  54' MF 6 Abdulaziz Hatem  81' FW 17 Ismaeel Mohammad  90' MF 23 Mostafa Meshaal  104' DF 18 Sultan Al-Brake  108' Manager: Tintín Márquez

GK 1 Utkir Yusupov CB 18 Abdulla Abdullaev CB 15 Umar Eshmurodov CB 5 Rustam Ashurmatov  90' RM 19 Azizbek Turgunboev  105' CM 9 Odiljon Hamrobekov CM 7 Otabek Shukurov  69' LM 4 Farrukh Sayfiev  99' AM 11 Oston Urunov  74' AM 22 Abbosbek Fayzullaev  114' CF 10 Jaloliddin Masharipov (c) Substitutions: MF 23 Shokhboz Umarov  74' DF 26 Zafarmurod Abdurakhmatov  99' DF 2 Mukhammadkodir Khamraliev  105' MF 20 Khojimat Erkinov  114' Manager: Srečko Katanec  80'