CommBank Joeys finish second in group after 2-0 defeat to Uzbekistan

The CommBank Joeys have been defeated 2-0 by Uzbekistan in their final group stage match of the AFC U17 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026™.

The result means that Australia finish second in Group D and will take on Vietnam on Sunday, 3am AEST for a place in the semi-finals. The team have already qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026™ after advancing from the group.

Head Coach Carl Veart made five changes to the side that defeated India in the opening match of the group stage. Marcus Savic wore the captain’s armband as he came into the side. Gabriel Lombardi, Fraser Brown, Stevan Rujak and Harrison Bond were the other inclusions into the side.

Uzbekistan settled into the game first, piling on the pressure on Australia’s defence. That persistence told in the 28th minute. A lovely through ball found Mirkomil Murodov, who made no mistake with the finish to give the Uzbeks the lead.

They doubled their advantage before the break through Akhrorbek Ravshanbekov.

Sukhrob Sadirzhonov was particularly impressive for Uzbekistan as they continued to create chances in the second half. Charlie Wilson-Papps made a number of impressive saves to keep Australia in the game.

However, the Joeys could not get back into the action, and had to settle for second place in the group. The team now looks ahead to the quarter-final against Vietnam this weekend.