Japan 1-0 South Korea Highlights, AFC U23 Asian Cup: Young Samurai Blue Enter Second Straight Final

The referee blows the final whistle after four minutes of added time, and Japan hold strong to beat South Korea 1-0. The Young Samurai Blue thus keep their title defence alive and kicking, and will meet the winner of the second semi-final between Vietnam and China in the summit clash. The Taegeuk Warriors, meanwhile, will play the third-place match against the loser of the second semi-final.

The teams head into the second and final cooling break of the match, with the scoreline still reading 1-0 in Japan's favour. The Young Samurai Blue have held firm after scoring the opener and South Korea would perhaps need a moment of brilliance, if they are to turn the tide.

In the second semi-final, Vietnam take on China at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium at 9pm IST. The two sides advanced to the last-four stage in contrasting ways: Vietnam impressed with four wins, while China had to battle every step of the way to reach the semi-finals for the first time.

The players return from the lemon break and the second half gets underway. Japan now kicking from right to left and South Korea in the opposite direction. The Taegeuk Warriors need a goal to keep this contest alive.

After a couple of minutes of added time, the referee blows the whistle to signal the end of the first half. Japan go into the mid-game interval with a slender but vital one-goal lead, and the onus is now on South Korea to find a way back in this encounter with a leveller.

Kaito Koizumi hands Japan the lead in the 36th minute! A neat move from the Young Samurai Blue leads to the ball laying up stray in the box, and Koizumi reacts swiftly to drive it in.

As expected, most of the action is unfolding in the midfield, with both teams trying to methodically wrest possession and not leave openings for central attacks. One reckons a solitary goal could well be enough to decide the fate of this contest.

Play is underway at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium. Japan kicking from left to right and Korea the other way in the first half. Both teams are well known for their strong defensive structure and it would be interesting to see how they tactically try to outsmart each other.

The match kicks off at 5pm IST. The Japan vs South Korea, AFC U23 Asian Cup will be live streamed on the FanCode app and website in India. It will not be telecast on any TV channel in the country.

This is how the two teams line up tonight:

Greetings and welcome, everyone. Stay with us for the build-up and live updates from the first semi-final of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026, between Japan and South Korea.