Our national youth team coach, Mr. Mario da Silva, praised the team’s stars and the fans who supported the Green Falcons in their match against Japan in the quarterfinals of the AFC U-17 Championship, held at Okaz Stadium in Taif. The Green Falcons won 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regular time, qualifying our national team for the semifinals with merit.

The Brazilian coach, da Silva, told the AFC website: “The defense was exceptional in the match, and this is the basis of our plan to maintain a tight defensive closure and rely on quick transitions. We were able to take the lead during the first half before our opponent equalized again late in the game. However, our players maintained their focus during the penalty shootout, which ultimately led to achieving what we had hoped for.”

In contrast, Japan coach Nozomi Hiroyama confirmed that he expected more goals for his country after they equalized before the end of regulation time. He said, “There was an expectation that we would try to take the initiative in the second half, and we should have decided the match in the second half, but we didn’t. In any case, I believe that many of the team’s players are extremely talented and will one day become great professionals and part of the national team.”

The semifinals will be played next Thursday, with the final next Sunday at King Fahd International Stadium in Taif.