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Ahead of the start of the 18th Asian Cup in Qatar, let's look back at five of the most memorable opening matches in the history of the tournament. These games often brought unexpected surprises and set the tone for the entire tournament, reports the-afc.com.
UAE 1-1 Republic of Korea (1996)
At the first 12-team Asian Cup in 1996, hosts UAE sensationally drew 1:1 with the grandees of Asian football, the Republic of Korea team. This result encouraged the UAE to reach the final, where they lost to Saudi Arabia.
Lebanon 0-4 Iran (2000)
In 2000, in Beirut, tournament debutant Lebanon lost 0:4 to Iran with the support of 52 thousand fans. Despite the defeat, Lebanon scored its first points of the tournament in the following matches. Iran reached the quarterfinals, where it lost to the Republic of Korea 2:1.
China 2-2 Bahrain (2004)
In 2004, in Beijing, 40 thousand spectators watched as the Chinese team barely played a 2:2 draw with the outsider - the Bahrain team, losing along the way. Bahrain eventually achieved the best result in their history, reaching the semi-finals. China lost the final to Japan 3:1.
Thailand 1-1 Iraq (2007)
At the 2007 Asian Cup in Thailand, the home team had a sensational 1:1 draw with the eventual champions, Iraq. The 1:1 draw turned out to be fatal for Thailand. Despite beating Oman 2-0 in their next match, the team was eliminated from the tournament after a 0-4 defeat to Australia.
Australia 4-1 Kuwait (2015)
In 2015, Australia defeated Kuwait 4:1 at their home Asian Cup. This marked the beginning of the winning path of the hosts, who became Asian champions for the first time. For Kuwait, the tournament turned out to be a failure - the team took last place in the group and subsequently missed the 2019 and 2023 Asian Cups.
Thus, the opening matches of the Asian Cup have repeatedly brought surprises, and the current tournament is unlikely to be an exception.
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