Japan eased past Paraguay, netting a 5-0 win in Bordeaux, with Iraq coming from behind to secure a 2-1 win over Ukraine, while tournament debutants were handed a 2-1 defeat by Spain.
Japan face Mali, while Uzbekistan meet Egypt with Iraq play Argentina on Friday.
Group B: Argentina v Iraq
Iraq showed that their AFC Asian Cup™ Qatar 2023 run was no fluke when they came from behind to defeat Ukraine 2-1 with Ali Jasim coming off the bench in the second half to score the winner.
The West Asian side can expect another challenging outing when they take on Argentina, who will be determined to bounce back from their shock 2-1 defeat to Morocco.
Head coach Radhi Shenaishil is optimistic about his team’s chances of winning their fixtures against Argentina and Morocco.
“Our team played excellently against Ukraine. The players took responsibility and halted the Ukrainian attack despite some first-half mistakes,” said Shenaishil. “The match against Argentina will be our toughest in the group since they need to bounce back after losing points in their first game.
“After the first stage, the Moroccan team is the best in the group.”
Argentina v Iraq
Venue: Stade de Lyon, Decines-Charpieu
Kick-off: Saturday, 15:00 (UTC+2)
Group C: Uzbekistan v Egypt
Despite losing their maiden fixture at the Olympics, the White Wolves showed glimpses of their attacking threat against Spain at the Parc des Princes Stadium.
Eldor Shomurodov etched his name on the scoresheet just before the half-time whistle and the talisman is expected to lead the line again against Egypt alongside Persepolis forward Oston Urunov and Jasurbek Jaloliddinov (pictured below).
Egypt drew blanks against Dominican Republic but head coach Timur Kapadze is expecting his side not to take their opponents lightly.
“The team will keep fighting with the same spirit and strength. They are motivated by the support of the fans and the pride of representing their country in the Olympics. We promise to keep doing our best,” said Kapadze.
Uzbekistan v Egypt
Venue: Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes
Kick-off: Saturday, 17:00 (UTC+2)
Group D: Japan v Mali
Japan are coming off an impressive 5-0 win against Paraguay and head coach Go Oiwa will be expecting nothing less from his charges when they face Mali on Matchday Two.
Shunsuke Mito and Shota Fujio both scored twice with Rihito Yamamoto adding another against the South American side as the Samurai Blue showed their cutting edge as they sealed a comfortable win at the Stade de Bordeaux.
With Mail and Israel drawing 1-1 in the other group game, a point should be enough to seal a quarter-final slot for Japan but Oiwa will want to make sure they finish on top by getting another win.
“It’s all about staying focused on our next match against Mali. If we can correct some of the mistakes we made in our opening game, we can have a better performance,” said Oiwa.
Japan v Mali
Venue: Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
Kick-off: Saturday, 21:00 (UTC+2)
