Japan secured a resounding 5-0 victory over Syria in the first round of the group stage of the AFC U23 Cup. The tournament is being held in Saudi Arabia.

In the other group B match, the UAE team defeated Qatar 2-0.

In group C, Uzbekistan defeated Lebanon 3-2, while the match between Korea Republic and Iran ended in a 0-0 draw.

The previous day, in group A, the tournament hosts, Saudi Arabia, defeated Kyrgyzstan 1-0, while Vietnam beat Jordan 2-0.

The tournament consists of 16 teams divided into four groups. The teams that finish in the top two places in their groups will advance to the playoffs.

The quarterfinals will be held on January 16 and 17, and the semifinals on January 20. The third-place match is scheduled for January 23, and the final is scheduled for January 24.