Tashkent: China beat defending champions Saudi Arabia 2-0 in the group stage of the AFC U20 Asian Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan here.
Mutellip Iminqari put China ahead in the 64th minute when he converted Afrden Asqer’s cross from the left, before Xu Bin doubled the lead eight minutes later from the same position, reports Xinhua news agency.
China could not make an attempt on goal until the 44th minute and had less than 30 percent possession throughout the first half, while Saudi Arabia missed several chances to break the deadlock.
The Saudi attackers’ momentum was shattered by China goalkeeper Li Hao’s two saves in the 50th minute, and China began to fight back with substitute appearance of Mutellip, who also assisted Xu’s goal.
After the win, China are now second in Group D behind Japan and will face Kyrgyzstan on Thursday.
–IANS