The Saudi national team won and qualified for the second round in the Asian Cup

The Saudi national team qualified for the second round after defeating Kyrgyzstan 2-0 on Sunday at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, in the second round of Group Six competitions in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.

Muhammad Kanno (35) and substitute Faisal Al-Ghamdi (84) scored the winning goals for the Saudi team.

The Kyrgyz national team completed the match with nine players after defender Izar Akhmatov was sent off in the ninth minute, and midfielder Kimi Merck was sent off in the 50th minute.

Saudi Arabia was alone at the top of the group standings with 6 points from two matches, compared to 4 points for Thailand, and a point for Oman, while Kyrgyzstan’s balance remained devoid of points, as the Saudi team secured qualification to the round of 16.

The third and final round of the group competitions will be held on Thursday, January 25, when Saudi Arabia will meet Thailand at Education City Stadium, and Kyrgyzstan will meet Oman at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.

On Tuesday, the first round witnessed Saudi Arabia defeating Oman 2-1 at Khalifa International Stadium, and Thailand defeating Kyrgyzstan 2-0 at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.

The top two teams in each group qualify for the round of 16, along with the four best third-placed teams.