Group A of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup took place from 5 to 14 January 2019. The group consisted of tournament hosts United Arab Emirates, Thailand, India and Bahrain. The top two teams, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand, along with third-placed Bahrain (as one of the four best third-placed teams), advanced to the round of 16.
Teams Draw position Team Zone Method ofqualification Date ofqualification Finalsappearance Lastappearance Previous bestperformance FIFA Rankings April 2018 December 2018 A1 WAFF 10th 2015 (third place) Runners-up (1996) 81 79 A2 AFF 7th 2007 (group stage) Third place (1972) 122 118 A3 SAFF 4th 2011 (group stage) Runners-up (1964) 97 97 A4 WAFF 6th 2015 (group stage) Fourth place (2004) 116 113
Notes
Standings
In the round of 16: The winners of Group A, the United Arab Emirates, advanced to play the third-placed team of Group C, Kyrgyzstan. The runners-up of Group A, Thailand, advanced to play the runners-up of Group C, China PR. The third-placed team of Group A, Bahrain, advanced to play the winners of Group C, South Korea (as one of the four best third-placed teams).
Matches All times listed are GST (UTC+4).
United Arab Emirates vs Bahrain With six minutes played, Ali Mabkhout found Ismail Al Hammadi, who fired narrowly wide of Bahrain goalkeeper Sayed Shubbar Alawi’s far post. Mabkhout shot over the bar from 15 yards after an Ali Salmeen cross on 23 minutes. In the final moments of the first half, Kamil Al Aswad's free kick from 25 yards narrowly whizzed over the bar. Khalid Eisa then made a double save to deny Bahrain in the 52nd minute by first palming away Ali Madan’s drive and blocking Mohamed Al Romaihi’s subsequent follow-up. Eight minutes after the hour mark, Bahrain failed to clear the lines at a corner and the ball was eventually deflected into the path of Mabkhout, who shot just wide of the post. On 78 minutes, defender Sayed Redha Isa crossed to Al Romaihi, who saw his initial header cleared off the line before ramming home the rebound. Bahraini substitute Mohamed Marhoon, who had only just come on, handled the ball in the area on 88 minutes and Ahmed Khalil, having come off the bench for his 100th cap, scored the resulting penalty to ensure his side a point.
GK 17Khalid EisaRB 9 Bandar Al-AhbabiCB 4 Khalifa MubarakCB 6 Fares Juma (c)LB 18Al Hassan SalehCM 13Khamis Esmaeel CM 2 Ali SalmeenCM 5 Amer Abdulrahman RF 21Khalfan Mubarak CF 7 Ali MabkhoutLF 15Ismail Al HammadiSubstitutions:FW 20Saif Rashid MF 16Mohamed Abdulrahman FW 11Ahmed Khalil Manager: Alberto Zaccheroni GK 1 Sayed Shubbar AlawiRB 5 Hamad Al-ShamsanCB 16Sayed Redha IsaCB 3 Waleed Al HayamLB 12Ahmed Juma RM 7 Abdulwahab Al-Safi (c)CM 4 Sayed Dhiya SaeedCM 11Ali Madan LM 19Kamil Al AswadCF 23Jamal Rashid CF 13Mohamed Al RomaihiSubstitutions:FW 10Abdulla Yusuf Helal MF 8 Mohamed Marhoon FW 20Sami Al-Husaini Manager: Miroslav Soukup
Man of the Match: Mohamed Al Romaihi (Bahrain)
Assistant referees: Ahmad Al-Roalle (Jordan) Mohammad Al-Kalaf (Jordan) Fourth official: Mohammed Al-Abakry (Saudi Arabia) Additional assistant referees: Turki Al-Khudhayr (Saudi Arabia) Ahmed Al-Ali (Jordan)
Thailand vs India
Thailand threatened first with captain Teerasil Dangda finding Thitipan Puangchan, firing an 11th minute drive which sailed narrowly wide of Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s right-hand post. Later on, Ashique Kuruniyan’s shot was saved by Chatchai Budprom, only for defender Theerathon Bunmathan to concede a penalty when he handled the subsequent rebound. Sunil Chhetri converted the resulting penalty to give India the lead in the 27th minute. Thailand were, however, to draw level just six minutes later, with Teerasil heading home Theerathon’s delivered set-piece. Moments after the restart, Kuruniyan and Udanta Singh combined to set up Chhetri who fired home past Chatchai from 15 yards to restore his side’s advantage. In the 68th minute Udanta charged towards the goal before laying the ball back to Anirudh Thapa, who dinked the ball past both Chatchai and a recovering defender into the back of the net. With time running out, Thailand rallied briefly when Teerasil saw a goal-bound effort diverted to safety via the outstretched leg of the defender Anas Edathodika. With 10 minutes remaining, substitute Jeje Lalpekhlua scored a curling strike from the edge of the area.
This became India's biggest ever win in their Asian Cup history, while it was also India's first ever win after 55 years. This hammered defeat to India prompted the FAT to sack Milovan Rajevac and appointed Sirisak Yodyardthai as interim coach. The two goals helped Sunil Chhetri overtake Lionel Messi to become the second-highest active goalscorer in men's international football, behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
GK 1 Chatchai BudpromRB 19Tristan DoCB 4 Chalermpong KerdkaewCB 6 Pansa Hemviboon LB 3 Theerathon BunmathanCM 8 Thitipan PuangchanCM 14Sanrawat Dechmitr RW 9 Adisak Kraisorn AM 18Chanathip Songkrasin LW 22Supachai JaidedCF 10Teerasil Dangda (c)Substitutions:DF 11Korrakot Wiriyaudomsiri FW 20Siroch Chatthong MF 7 Sumanya Purisai Manager: Milovan Rajevac GK 1 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (c)RB 20Pritam KotalCB 5 Sandesh JhinganCB 22Anas EdathodikaLB 3 Subhasish BoseRM 15Udanta SinghCM 7 Anirudh Thapa CM 14Pronay Halder LM 19Halicharan NarzaryCF 13Ashique Kuruniyan CF 11Sunil ChhetriSubstitutions:FW 12Jeje Lalpekhlua MF 17Rowllin Borges MF 6 Germanpreet Singh Manager: Stephen Constantine
Man of the Match: Sunil Chhetri (India)
Assistant referees: Huo Weiming (China PR) Cao Yi (China PR) Fourth official: Ronnie Koh Min Kiat (Singapore) Additional assistant referees: Ma Ning (China PR) Fu Ming (China PR)
Bahrain vs Thailand Thailand came close to opening the scoring in the 20th minute when captain Teerasil Dangda's effort was blocked by Bahraini goalkeeper Sayed Shubbar Alawi. Eight minutes later, Bahrain forced Thai goalkeeper Siwarak Tedsungnoen to pull off a double save against Mohamed Marhoon and Sayed Dhiya Saeed. Four minutes from the end of the half, Mohamed Al Romaihi failed to keep his header down from Marhoon's cross. In the 58th minute, Tristan Do sent a cross into the Bahrain penalty box. The ball was deflected by Ahmed Juma but a surging Chanathip Songkrasin sent a left-footed shot past Alawi to give Thailand the advantage. Thailand came close to doubling their lead when Chanathip's pass found Adisak Kraisorn but his effort was denied by the upright in the 71st minute.
GK 1 Sayed Shubbar AlawiRB 16Sayed Redha IsaCB 5 Hamad Al-ShamsanCB 3 Waleed Al HayamLB 12Ahmed Juma CM 7 Abdulwahab Al-Safi (c)CM 19Kamil Al AswadRW 11Ali Madan AM 8 Mohamed Marhoon LW 4 Sayed Dhiya SaeedCF 13Mohamed Al RomaihiSubstitutions:FW 20Sami Al-Husaini FW 10Abdulla Yusuf Helal FW 9 Mahdi Al-Humaidan Manager: Miroslav Soukup GK 23Siwarak TedsungnoenCB 5 Adisorn Promrak CB 6 Pansa Hemviboon CB 15Suphan Thongsong LWB 3 Theerathon BunmathanRWB 19Tristan DoCM 17Tanaboon Kesarat CM 8 Thitipan PuangchanLW 18Chanathip SongkrasinRW 9 Adisak Kraisorn CF 10Teerasil Dangda (c)Substitutions:MF 14Sanrawat Dechmitr FW 22Supachai Jaided DF 16Mika Chunuonsee Manager:Sirisak Yodyardthai
Man of the Match: Chanathip Songkrasin (Thailand)
Assistant referees: Matthew Cream (Australia) Anton Shchetinin (Australia) Fourth official: Sergei Grishchenko (Kyrgyzstan) Additional assistant referees: Peter Green (Australia) Ryuji Sato (Japan)
India vs United Arab Emirates India had the game's first chance when Ashique Kuruniyan dashed into the area before unleashing a drive which forced goalkeeper Khalid Eisa into a fine save on 11 minutes. Eisa was called into action once again in the 23rd minute, this time reacting to repel a Sunil Chhetri header. Five minutes before half-time, Anas Edathodika made a mess of it and allowed Ali Mabkhout to set up Khalfan Mubarak to fire home past Indian custodian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. In the final moments of the first period, Chhetri came within inches of drawing his side level, but his effort fizzed just wide of Eisa's far post. After the break, substitute Jeje Lalpekhlua fired a shot narrowly off target and then Udanta Singh rattled the Emirati bar with a drive from a narrow angle. Ismail Al Hammadi’s 74th-minute shot cannoned off the post and then Sandhu before rebounding to safety. The UAE doubled their advantage in the final moments when Mabkhout converted Ali Salmeen’s pass to secure the victory despite Mohamed Ahmed crashing the ball against his own woodwork deep into stoppage time.
GK 1 Gurpreet Singh SandhuRB 20Pritam KotalCB 5 Sandesh JhinganCB 22Anas EdathodikaLB 3 Subhasish Bose RM 15Udanta Singh CM 7 Anirudh Thapa CM 14Pronay HalderLM 19Halicharan Narzary CF 13Ashique Kuruniyan CF 11Sunil Chhetri (c)Substitutions:FW 12Jeje Lalpekhlua MF 17Rowllin Borges MF 18Jackichand Singh Manager: Stephen Constantine GK 17Khalid EisaRB 9 Bandar Al-AhbabiCB 4 Khalifa MubarakCB 19Ismail AhmedLB 18Al Hassan SalehCM 13Khamis Esmaeel CM 2 Ali SalmeenCM 5 Amer Abdulrahman RF 21Khalfan Mubarak CF 7 Ali MabkhoutLF 15Ismail Al Hammadi (c)Substitutions:MF 8 Majed Hassan DF 23Mohamed Ahmed FW 10Ismail Matar Manager: Alberto Zaccheroni
Man of the Match: Ali Mabkhout (United Arab Emirates)
Assistant referees: Miguel Hernández (Mexico) Alberto Morín (Mexico) Fourth official: Rashid Al-Ghaithi (Oman) Additional assistant referees: Jumpei Iida (Japan) Hiroyuki Kimura (Japan)
United Arab Emirates vs Thailand The United Arab Emirates and Thailand both booked their places in the knockout stage as a 1–1 draw at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium was enough to ensure both nations progressed. Ali Mabkhout put Alberto Zaccheroni's side ahead after seven minutes but Thitipan Puangchan struck four minutes from time to earn the Thais a point that sees them take second place in Group A, following India's late loss to Bahrain, thanks to a better head-to-head record.
The hosts made the perfect start when, with many in the crowd of almost 18,000 still finding their seats, they found the back of Siwarak Tedsungnoen's goal. Ismail Al Hammadi burst into the area and attempted to clip the ball over the Thai keeper, only for it to come back off the crossbar. However, Mabkhout rose to head home the rebound from inside the six-yard box. Khalfan Mubarak sought to double the lead 11 minutes later when he twisted his way past the Thai defence, only to send a weak shot trundling through to Siwarak.
While the UAE have qualified for the knockout phase for the second tournament in a row, Thailand will be featuring in the next round for the first time since they reached the semi-finals in 1972.
GK 17Khalid EisaCB 19Ismail AhmedCB 4 Khalifa MubarakCB 23Mohamed AhmedRWB9 Bandar Al-Ahbabi LWB18Al Hassan Saleh CM 8 Majed HassanCM 2 Ali SalmeenRW 21Khalfan Mubarak LW 15Ismail Al Hammadi (c) CF 7 Ali MabkhoutSubstitutions:MF 16Mohamed Abdulrahman FW 11Ahmed Khalil FW 10Ismail Matar Manager: Alberto Zaccheroni GK 23Siwarak TedsungnoenRB 3 Theerathon BunmathanCB 5 Adisorn Promrak CB 15Suphan Thongsong LB 16Mika Chunuonsee CM 17Tanaboon Kesarat CM 8 Thitipan PuangchanRW19Tristan DoLW18Chanathip SongkrasinCF 9 Adisak Kraisorn CF 10Teerasil Dangda (c)Substitutions:DF 4 Chalermpong Kerdkaew FW 22Supachai Jaided MF 21Pokklaw Anan Manager:Sirisak Yodyardthai
Man of the Match: Ali Mabkhout (United Arab Emirates)
Assistant referees: Hiroshi Yamauchi (Japan) Jun Mihara (Japan) Fourth official: Mohd Yusri Muhamad (Malaysia) Additional assistant referees: Jumpei Iida (Japan) Hiroyuki Kimura (Japan)
India vs Bahrain Jamal Rashid's penalty in stoppage time sealed the 1–0 win for Bahrain over India, taking them into the knockout stage for the first time since 2004. With the UAE and Thailand playing to a 1–1 draw, Bahrain finished third in Group A with four points, confirming them as one of the best four third-placed teams that will advance to the round of 16.