Uzbekistan 2022: Know Your Group D Teams

Saudi Arabia
How they qualified: 2nd Best Runners-up
Previous appearances: 4
Best finish: Runners-up 2013, 2020
Head coach: Saad Al Shehri
Qualifiers stats: Saudi Arabia scored four and conceded two goals in finishing second in Group D
Fun fact: Saudi Arabia lost the 2013 and 2020 finals by 1-0 margins

Fixtures: 
Saudi Arabia v Tajikistan - June 3
Japan v Saudi Arabia - June 6
Saudi Arabia v UAE - June 9

Goalkeepers: Nawaf Alaqidi (1), Abdulrahman Alsanbi (21).

Defenders: Waleed Alahmad (3), Khalifah Aldawsari (4), Hassan Tambakti (5), Moteb Alharbi (12), Hamad Al Yami (13), Meshal Sibyani (18), Saud Abdulhamid (23).

Midfielders: Saad Yaslam Balobaid (2), Ibrahim Mahnashi (6), Aiman Yahya (7), Hamed Alghamdi (8), Turki Al Ammar (10), Awad Alnashri (14), Hussain Aleisa (15), Ziyad Aljohani (16), Haitham Asiri (17), Abdullah Hadi Radif (19).

Forwards: Feras Albrikan (9), Ahmed Mazen Alghamdi (11), Mohammed Marran (20), Abdulrahman Anwar Alshammari (22).

United Arab Emirates
How they qualified: Group E Winners
Previous appearances: 3
Best finish: Quarter-finals 2013, 2016, 2020
Head coach: Denis Silva
Qualifiers stats: UAE scored four and conceded two goals in topping Group E
Fun fact: UAE have only missed one edition of the AFC U23 Asian Cup - in 2018

Fixtures: 
UAE v Japan - June 3
Tajikistan v UAE - June 6
Saudi Arabia v UAE - June 9

Goalkeepers: Eisa Houti (1), Suhail Abdulla (17), Rakaan Waleed Almenhali (22).

Defenders: Abdulla Idress (2), Yousif Ali Almheiri (3), Saeed Sulaiman Mubarak (5), Eid Khamis Alnuaimi (6), Ahmad Abdulla (12), Faris Khalil (13),  Zayed Sultan (18).

Midfielders: Ahmed Mahmoud (4), Abdelaziz Mohamed Abdulla (8), Hussain Mahdi (16), Abdallah Alblooshi (21), Majid Rashid Almehrzi (23).

Forwards: Rashed Mubarak (7), Abdalla Abdelrahman Mohamed (9), Saeed Alkaabi (10), Yaser Alblooshi (11), Fahad Bader Barout (14), Mansoor Saeed (15), Eisa Khalfan Al Harasi (19), Harib Abdalla Almaazi (20).

Japan
How they qualified: Group K Winners
Previous appearances: 4
Best finish: Champions 2016
Head Coach: Go Oiwa
Qualifiers stats: Japan scored eight goals and conceded none in topping Group K
Fun fact: Japan have the most number of goals (3) scored from outside the box (tied with Korea Republic), across the four previous editions

Fixtures: 
UAE v Japan - June 3
Japan v Saudi Arabia - June 6
Japan v Tajikistan - June 9

Squad (Jersey number)
Goalkeepers: Leo Kokubo (1), Zion Suzuki (12), Masato Sasaki (23).
Defenders: Riku Handa (2), Seiya Baba (3), Kaito Suzuki (4), Kimura Seiji (5), Taiga Hata (15), Takashi Uchino (16), Hijiri Kato (17), Anrie Chase (22).
Midfielders: Daiki Matsuoka (6), Rihito Yamamoto (7), Joel Chima Fujita (8), Koki Saito (10), Kein Sato (13), Fuki Yamada (14), Kuryu Matsuki (19), Shunsuke Mito (20).
Forwards:  Shota Fujio (9), Mao Hosoya (11), Yuito Suzuki (18), Taika Nakashima (21).

Tajikistan
How they qualified: 4th Best Runners-up
Debut appearance
Head Coach: Mubin Ergashev
Qualifiers stats: Tajikistan scored nine and conceded three in finishing second in Group B

Fixtures: 
Saudi Arabia v Tajikistan - June 3
Tajikistan v UAE - June 6
Japan v Tajikistan - June 9

Squad (Jersey number)
Goalkeepers: Daler Azizov (1), Shohrukh Qirghizboev (16), Ahliddin Habibulloev (23).
Defenders: Oyatullo Safarov (2), Muhammadjon Naskov (3), Shohrukh Sangov (5), Naimdzhon Ibrogimzoda (6), Firdavs Alinazarov (12), Alisher Barotov (15), Khuseyn Nurmatov (19).
Midfielders: Emomali Ahmadkhon (4), Karomatullo Saidov (7), Abdulmumin Zabirov (8), Sharafjon Solehov (9), Islom Zairov (10), Amadoni Kamolov (13), Sharifbek Rahmatov (14), Daler Yodgorov (18), Umarjon Sharipov (20), Sorbon Avgonov (21).
Forwards: Rustam Soirov (11), Muhammadali Azizboev (17), Sunatullo Ismoilov (22).