TAIF: There was heartbreak for Saudi Arabia with a 2-0 loss to Uzbekistan in the final of the U17 Asian Cup on Sunday. The defeat at the King Fahd Sports City in Taif means that the 37-year wait for a third title goes on despite the fact that the victors had two men sent off in the first half.

Uzbekistan somehow regrouped to score twice in the second half to repeat their 2012 success for a second continental crown.

It was a tough road to the final for the hosts who needed penalties to get past Japan in the quarter-finals and then South Korea three days previously. Perhaps there was some fatigue against an Uzbekistan team that strolled past the United Arab Emirates and North Korea in the knockout stages.

That didn’t matter too much however as, five minutes before the end of a fairly even first half, Uzbekistan had a man sent off as Nurbek Sarsenbaev saw red for kicking out, while on the floor, at Adel Hibah.

Seconds before half-time and it got worse for the Central Asians as they lost another man. This time,a last-ditch tackle on Sabri Dahal was enough to get Miraziz Abdukarimov sent off.

It seemed at half-time as if Saudi Arabia were going through but incredibly, it didn’t take the Central Asians long to break the deadlock in the second half though it was perhaps a little harsh on the Saudi Arabians. The ball bounced up in the area and Yazeed Al-Dosari was adjudged, after a VAR intervention, to have handled and the referee eventually gave a penalty, much to the delight of the small contingent of Uzbekistan fans.

Up stepped Mukhammad Khakimov to fire home, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

With the hosts pushing forward in search of an equaliser, the win was sealed with 20 minutes remaining and in fine fashion. Sadriddin Khasanov picked up possession just over the halfway line, skipped past Al Waleed Al-Awfi on the left, cut inside the area and then shot through the legs of Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi.

Saudi Arabia threw everything forward in an attempt to get back in the game but, in the end, were unable to find a way through a committed Uzbekistan defence.

There is some consolation for the hosts however, as they have the U17 World Cup to look forward to, later this year in Qatar.