Qatar 2 China 0 (January 12)
Two goals from Yusef Ahmed gave hosts Qatar their first win and left China on the ropes. Qatar opened the scoring in the 26th minute when Yusef Ahmed brought the ball down on his thigh and whacked it into the top corner from outside the box, and just before the half-time whistle Ahmed turned outside the box and released a shot that trickled into the corner of the net to give the host hope and China despair ahead of their final group matches.
Yusef Ahmed makes it two
Uzbek win leaves Kuwait hanging
Uzbekistan 2 Kuwait 1 (January 12)
Kuwait are on the verge of elimination after losing to Uzbekistan who march into the next round. Uzbekistan took the lead 4 minutes before the end of a drab first half when Shatskikh's free-kick was deflected off the back of Haydarov, but 3 minutes after the break Bader Al Mutwa sent Nesterov the wrong way to equalise for Kuwait with a well-taken penalty. Djeparov swept the ball in with a brilliant shot from outside the area in the 64th minute to send Uzbekistan through to the next round.
Group B matches
Honda pen puts Japan in driving seat
Japan 2 Syria 1 (January 13)
A late penalty turned the match in Japan's favour after Syria had levelled the score in controversial fashion. Japanese pressure paid off in the 35th minute when an attack ended with the ball being left for Hasebe to roll home from just inside the box. A reckless Japanese backpass 20 minutes from time lead to Kawashima's dismissal for bringing down Malki in the box and a penalty which Al Khatib coolly converted past substitute keeper Nishikawa after 5 minutes of Japanese arguing with the Iranian referee Mohsen Torky who had overruled his assistant's offside flag in the build-up to the incident. Japan were awarded a penalty 6 minutes later and Honda drove the spot-kick right down the centre to put his side back in front. Syria were reduced to 10 men when Sabag received his marching orders for preventing a free-kick from being taken in stoppage time.
Al Khatib beats Nishikawa from the spot
Jordan send Saudis home
Jordan 1 Saudi Arabia 0 (January 13)
Three-time Asian champions and 2007 finalists Saudi Arabia were knocked out of the competition after suffering their 2nd defeat in a row. The match was decided in the 42nd minute by a goalkeeping misjudgement when Bahaa Abdelrahman's cross caught Abdullah off his guard and nestled in the back of the net. Nasser Al Shamrani came close after a good run in the 75th minute but couldn't get past the Jordanian keeper, and Saudi Arabia's frantic efforts in stoppage time came to no avail.
Group C matches
Abdulatif four shows India the door
Bahrain 5 India 2 (January 14)
Ismaeel Abdulatif scored 4 times as Bahrain eased 5-2 past India. Aaish opened the scoring when he sent the Indian keeper the wrong way from the spot in the 8th minute, but India responded swiftly when a free-kick was headed down into the path of Gouramangi Singh who knocked the ball into the roof of the net from close range a minute later. In the 16th minute Indian keeper Paul Subrata unsuccessfully used his foot to deal with a low cross presenting Abdulatif with an empty net and 3 minutes later the Indian defense was once again breached leaving Abdulatif with a simple tap in. Abdulatif completed his hat-trick in the 35th minute when he chested the ball down behind the Indian defense and slotted it past the keeper into the far corner. India reduced the deficit in the 52nd minute when Renedy Singh's shot came off the underside of the bar and Yadav's follow-up header against the same spot allowed Sunil Chhetri to head in the rebound. Ten minutes later, moments after Aaish had been booked, he was shown the red card for diving, but Bahrain had the last word when Abdulatif got between 2 defenders and drilled the ball past the keeper for his 4th 13 minutes from time.
Sunil Chhetri pulls one back for India
Aussies salvage a point
Australia 1 South Korea 1 (January 14)
Australia and South Korea shared the points in a top-of-the-table meeting. The classy Koreans took the lead when Koo Ja Cheol fired the ball past Mark Schwarzer in the 24th minute, but in the 62nd minute Lucas Neill lifted the ball onto the head of Mile Jedinak who beat the keeper in the air to equalise. Both teams will be hopeful of progressing to the next round.
Group D matches
Cruel end for Emirates
Iraq 1 UAE 0 (January 15)
An exciting match ended in disappointment for the UAE as they handed all 3 points to Iraq with an own-goal in stoppage time. Both teams hit the woodwork several times but the match was decided in added-on time when Walid Abbas intercepted a low cross only to turn the ball into his own net.
Iraq celebrate late own goal
Iran creep through
Iran 1 North Korea 0 (January 15)
A single goal against North Korea was enough to see Iran through to the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup. The deadlock of an uneventful match was broken in the 63rd minute when Karim Ansarifard got on the end of a Nouri cross to knock the ball past the North Korean keeper. Iran held on to win as Hong Yong Jo skimmed the crossbar with a shot from inside the box in stoppage time. The win puts Iran at the top of the group with one match-day remaining.
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