Qatar took the bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Championship after beating the Republic of Korea (RoK) 1 – 0 in a 90-minute playoff in Changshu, China on January 26.

Qatar takes the bronze medal at the 2018 A​FC U23 Championship after beating the Republic of Korea in a 90-minute playoff in China. (Photo: the-afc.com)

Qatar and the RoK put up their last effort to play a good game today as they shared the same desire to overcome the disappointment of getting defeated by Vietnam and Uzbekistan in the semi-finals three days ago.

The RoK had more opportunities but was unable to score a goal. They even missed a penalty in the 49th minute when captain Hyun-soo could not beat Qatari goalkeeper Hassan.

Akram Afif of Qatar fired one game-winning shot into the net in the 39th minute, bringing his team the bronze medal.

All eyes are now on the final match between Vietnam and Uzbekistan on January 27. 

Thousands of Vietnamese supporters have landed in Changshu, China, to support the Vietnamese U23 team. More than 2,000 fans are expected to fly from Vietnam to Changshu tomorrow.

Thousands of people already left for China on the morning of January 25 via the Huu Nghi International Border Gate in Lang Son province. They will travel by local planes and coaches to join others from Vietnam at Changshu.

Vietnamese people and students who live and study in China are also flocking to the Changshu Olympic Sport Centre to support the national squad.

Vietnam surprised the world by securing a berth in the final of the AFC U23 Championship after beating Qatar 4-3 in the penalty shootout on January 23.

It became the first Southeast Asian country to enter the final of the AFC U23 championship. The team qualified for the semifinals on January 20 thanks to a dramatic victory over Iraq.-VNA