The knockout stage of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup was the second and final stage of the competition, following the group stage. It began on 28 January with the round of 16 and ended on 10 February with the final match, held at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail. A total of 16 teams (the top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams) advanced to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament.
All times are local, AST (UTC+3).
Format In the knockout stage, if a match was level at the end of 90 minutes of normal playing time, extra time was played (two periods of 15 minutes each). If still tied after extra time, the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner. This was the second time there was no third place play-off, after the 2019 edition.
The AFC set out the following schedule for the round of 16: R16-1: Group A runners-up v Group C runners-up R16-2: Group D winners v Group B/E/F third place R16-3: Group B winners v Group A/C/D third place R16-4: Group F winners v Group E runners-up R16-5: Group C winners v Group A/B/F third place R16-6: Group E winners v Group D runners-up R16-7: Group A winners v Group C/D/E third place R16-8: Group B runners-up v Group F runners-up
Combinations of matches in the round of 16
The specific match-ups involving the third-placed teams depended on which four third-placed teams qualified for the round of 16:
Third-placed teamsqualify from groups 1Avs 1Bvs 1Cvs 1Dvs A B C D 3C 3D 3A 3B A B C E 3C 3A 3B 3E A B C F 3C 3A 3B 3F A B D E 3D 3A 3B 3E A B D F 3D 3A 3B 3F A B E F 3E 3A 3B 3F A C D E 3C 3D 3A 3E A C D F 3C 3D 3A 3F A C E F 3C 3A 3F 3E A D E F 3D 3A 3F 3E B C D E 3C 3D 3B 3E B C D F 3C 3D 3B 3F B C E F 3E 3C 3B 3F B D E F 3E 3D 3B 3F C D E F 3C 3D 3F 3E
Qualified teams The top two placed teams from each of the six groups, plus the four best-placed third teams, qualified for the knockout stage.
Group Winners Runners-up Third-placed teams(Best four qualified) A B C D E F
Indonesia, Palestine, Syria, and Tajikistan made their knockout stage debut in this tournament.
Bracket
All times are local, AST (UTC+3).
Round of 16
Australia vs Indonesia This was the first time Australia and Indonesia faced each other at the Asian Cup, having last met back in 2010 during the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification, in which Australia triumphed. This fixture was also the first time Australia faced a fellow AFF member in the Asian Cup since becoming AFF member in 2013. It was also the first time since 2007 (4–0 win against Thailand) that Australia faced a Southeast Asian opponent.
Indonesia quickly applied pressure in the first minutes trying to exploit Australia's organisation, but, although Indonesia pressed early, they were brutally punished in the 12th minute when Jackson Irvine produced a run that saw him overcome three Indonesian players before his shot caused Elkan Baggott to unintentionally deflect the ball into his own net to give Australia the lead. Australia scored once again when, from a counterattack, the ball was delivered high by Gethin Jones from Indonesia's left flank and Martin Boyle quickly headed home for the second. Although Australia reduced the tempo in the second half and allowed Indonesia more space, the Indonesians failed to score, and they were again punished in the 89th minute from another run on the left flank. Nathaniel Atkinson's cut piece was followed by Irvine's header; although Ernando Ari managed to save the initial shot, he could not prevent Craig Goodwin from scoring after the save deflected and allowed Goodwin's volley. Australia completed the game in style in the first minute of added time when Harry Souttar capitalised from a set-piece by Goodwin to head home.
Since joining the AFC in 2006, Australia had never lost against fellow AFF members, which was later extended following their win over Indonesia (10 wins, three draws). This result equalled Australia's second biggest win in their AFC Asian Cup history, all 4–0, which happened against Thailand in 2007, India in 2011 and Oman in 2015. This also secured Australia's ongoing streak of advancing to every quarter-finals of the Asian Cup since their debut in 2007.
GK 1 Mathew Ryan (c)RB 25Gethin Jones CB 19Harry SouttarCB 4 Kye RowlesLB 16Aziz BehichDM 17Keanu Baccus CM 14Riley McGree CM 22Jackson IrvineRF 6 Martin Boyle CF 9 Bruno Fornaroli LF 5 Jordan Bos Substitutions:MF 8 Connor Metcalfe FW 15Mitchell Duke DF 3 Nathaniel Atkinson MF 13Aiden O'Neill FW 23Craig Goodwin Manager:Graham Arnold GK 21Ernando AriCB 6 Sandy Walsh CB 4 Jordi Amat CB 3 Elkan BaggottRM 14Asnawi Mangkualam (c) CM 25Justin HubnerCM 24Ivar JennerLM 20Shayne PattynamaRF 2 Yakob Sayuri CF 11Rafael Struick LF 7 Marselino FerdinanSubstitutions:MF 8 Witan Sulaeman DF 5 Rizky Ridho Manager: Shin Tae-yong
Man of the Match: Martin Boyle (Australia)
Assistant referees: Mohamed Al-Hammadi (United Arab Emirates) Hasan Al-Mahri (United Arab Emirates) Fourth official: Abdullah Jamali (Kuwait) Reserve assistant referee: Ahmad Abbas (Kuwait) Video assistant referee: Omar Al-Ali (United Arab Emirates) Assistant video assistant referees: Adel Al-Naqbi (United Arab Emirates)
Tajikistan vs United Arab Emirates This was the teams' first ever competitive meeting; having met just twice, both in friendlies, in which the United Arab Emirates won one and drew one.
Despite the Emiratis controlling the match in the first minutes, it was Tajikistan who scored first after Vahdat Hanonov, assisted by Zoir Dzhuraboyev, headed into the net over two Emirati players. The Tajiks then put up an effective defence to neutralise Emirati attacks for the majority of the game, until the fifth minute of second half's added time when, from a set-piece by Ali Saleh, Khalifa Al Hammadi produced a header to equalise for the United Arab Emirates at. Both teams played conservatively through extra time, forcing a penalty shootout. Tajikistan successfully converted all five of their penalties, as Caio Canedo's second shot for the United Arab Emirates was denied by Rustam Yatimov and Tajikistan sealed a historic win.
Tajikistan became the first Asian Cup knockout stage debutant to win a knockout stage game since Japan in 1992. The loss resulted in the worst performance for the United Arab Emirates in the Asian Cup since 2011, when they were eliminated in the group stage.
GK 1 Rustam Yatimov RB 5 Manuchekhr SafarovCB 6 Vahdat HanonovCB 2 Zoir DzhuraboyevLB 19Akhtam Nazarov (c)RM 15Shervoni Mabatshoev CM 7 Parvizdzhon Umarbayev CM 14Alisher ShukurovLM 17Ehson PanjshanbeCF 22Shahrom Samiev CF 10Alisher Dzhalilov Substitutions:FW 9 Rustam Soirov FW 25Nuriddin Khamrokulov DF 3 Tabrezi Islomov MF 11Mukhammadzhon Rakhimov Manager: Petar Šegrt GK 17Khalid Eisa (c)RB 3 Zayed Sultan CB 4 Khalid Al-Hashemi CB 12Khalifa Al HammadiLB 26Bader NasserDM 15Yahia Nader CM 8 Tahnoon Al-Zaabi CM 18Abdullah Ramadan RF 10Fábio LimaCF 11Caio CanedoLF 20Yahya Al-Ghassani Substitutions:MF 14Abdulla Hamad DF 2 Abdulla Idrees FW 9 Ali Saleh DF 19Khaled Ibrahim MF 6 Majid Rashid MF 5 Ali Salmeen Manager: Paulo Bento
Man of the Match: Shahrom Samiev (Tajikistan)
Assistant referees: Jun Mihara (Japan) Takumi Takagi (Japan) Fourth official: Mohammed Al Hoish (Saudi Arabia) Reserve assistant referee: Yasir Al-Sultan (Saudi Arabia) Video assistant referee: Jumpei Iida (Japan) Assistant video assistant referees: Sivakorn Pu-udom (Thailand)
Iraq vs Jordan This match was the two neighbouring rivals' second Asian Cup meeting in history, with their only encounter dating back to 2015, also their most recent competitive encounter, which Iraq triumphed in a hard-fought match.
Iraq made a bright start, but after just the first ten minutes, Jordan reclaimed control. The Jordanians scored first when, from a misjudged pass by Amir Al-Ammari, Yazan Al-Naimat intercepted the ball in the midfield and sprinted to face Jalal Hassan before bouncing the ball up into the net in the first minute of added time of the first half. Saad Natiq equalised for Iraq from a corner kick in the 68th minute with a header too hard for Yazid Abu Layla to deny. Iraq took the lead in the 76th minute when, from a left flank cross by Merchas Doski, combined with a misjudged header by Yazan Al-Arab, Aymen Hussein delivered a low shot to the right bottom corner of the net. However, Hussein's celebration resulted in his controversial dismissal right after scoring. Jordan equallised in the fifth minute of added time: when a chaotic ball fight in the Iraqi penalty area followed a Jordanian corner kick; Musa Al-Taamari curled the ball towards the net and was denied initially by Jalal Hassan, but Al-Arab soon quickly rebounded the ball home. As the match was heading towards extra time, a Jordanian siege followed and the ball was passed to Nizar Al-Rashdan from Al-Taamari, who then hit a long-range effort that proved to be the final goal of the game as Jordan sealed a historic victory.
This result meant Iraq had failed to advance past the round of 16 for the second time in a row. Meanwhile, this was the first time ever Jordan came out victorious in a knockout stage match in Asian Cup history. Iraq's loss to Jordan was also a shock in the competition, given Iraq's dominant performance in Group D, including a famous 2–1 win over powerhouse and four-time champions Japan.
GK 12Jalal Hassan (c)RB 3 Hussein AliCB 4 Saad Natiq CB 2 Rebin SulakaLB 25Ahmed Yahya CM 20Osama Rashid CM 16Amir Al-AmmariRW 8 Ibrahim BayeshAM 17Ali JasimLW 7 Youssef Amyn CF 18Aymen Hussein Substitutions:DF 23Merchas Doski MF 11Zidane Iqbal FW 10Mohanad Ali DF 6 Ali Adnan Manager: Jesús Casas GK 1 Yazid Abu LaylaCB 3 Abdallah Nasib CB 5 Yazan Al-ArabCB 17Salem Al-AjalinRM 23Ihsan Haddad (c)CM 21Nizar Al-Rashdan CM 14Rajaei Ayed LM 13Mahmoud Al-MardiRF 10Musa Al-TaamariCF 11Yazan Al-Naimat LF 9 Ali OlwanSubstitutions:MF 18Saleh Rateb Other disciplinary actions:FW 20Hamza Al-Dardour Manager: Hussein Ammouta
Man of the Match: Nizar Al-Rashdan (Jordan)
Assistant referees: Anton Shchetinin (Australia) Ashley Beecham (Australia) Fourth official: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar) Reserve assistant referee: Saoud Al-Maqaleh (Qatar) Video assistant referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar) Assistant video assistant referees: Salman Ahmad Falahi (Qatar)
Qatar vs Palestine This match was the first time the two teams had faced each other in an Asian Cup, with their most recent competitive fixtures happening during the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification, with Qatar winning one and one draw.
Although Qatar were the stronger team on paper, Palestine forced Qatar to work hard at the first minutes. Palestine scored first in the 37th minute when a pass by Bassam Al-Rawi from midfield was intercepted by Oday Dabbagh, who then overcame two remaining Qatari defenders and shot low beyond Meshaal Barsham. Qatar levelled just before the end of the first half with a corner kick by Akram Afif to Hassan Al-Haydos, who then took a deflected shot to hit home in the sixth minute of added time. Palestine conceded a penalty early in the second half, as Mohammed Saleh foulled Almoez Ali in the box in the 47th minute, before Afif converted from the spot to secure Qatar's win.
GK 22Meshaal BarshamCB 15Bassam Al-Rawi CB 16Boualem Khoukhi CB 12Lucas MendesRM 2 Ró-RóCM 24Jassem Gaber CM 20Ahmed FatehiCM 10Hassan Al-Haydos (c) LM 4 Mohammed WaadCF 19Almoez AliCF 11Akram AfifSubstitutions:DF 5 Tarek Salman FW 25Ahmed Al Ganehi MF 6 Abdulaziz Hatem DF 3 Al-Mahdi Ali Mukhtar Manager: Tintín Márquez GK 22Rami HamadehRB 7 Musab Al-Battat (c)CB 15Michel TermaniniCB 5 Mohammed Saleh LB 12Camilo SaldañaRM 9 Tamer Seyam CM 6 Oday Kharoub CM 18Amid Mahajna LM 10Mahmoud Abu WardaCF 11Oday DabbaghCF 20Zaid Qunbar Substitutions:MF 21Islam Batran MF 3 Mohammed Rashid FW 13Shehab Qunbar Manager: Makram Daboub
Man of the Match: Akram Afif (Qatar)
Assistant referees: Zhou Fei (China) Zhang Cheng (China) Fourth official: