Sport
Japan defends AFC U-23 Asian Cup title with dominant win over China
Japan successfully defended its AFC Under-23 Asian Cup title after a commanding 4–0 victory over China in the final of the 2026 tournament on Saturday at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Kosei Ogura led the scoring with two goals in the 20th and 76th minutes, while Yuto Ozeki struck early in the 12th minute and Ryunosuke Sato added another in the 60th to seal a convincing triumph. The win marked Japan’s third U-23 Asian Cup title.
China reached the final for the first time in its history after defeating Vietnam 3–0 in the semifinals, while Japan booked its place by edging past South Korea 1–0 in the other last-four encounter.
In the third-place playoff on Friday, Vietnam claimed the bronze medal after defeating South Korea 7–6 on penalties, following a 2–2 draw after extra time.