MELBOURNE: Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia will decide which team joins China as the Group B quarterfinalist at the Asian Cup on Sunday. China, which has already sealed top spot in the group, will look to win its third straight match to open the tournament, for the first time.
The winner of this Melbourne match will play South Korea, winner from Group A.
Odil Ahmedov scored Uzbekistan’s lone goal in a 2-1 loss to China on Wednesday, while Igor Sergeev headed in to give the team a 1-0 win over North Korea in their opener.
Uzbekistan coach Mirdjalal Kasimov said his side was the better team in the first half against China, but dropped off in the second half.
“I want to congratulate China. Now we must try and beat Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Saudi Arabia produced a more definitive result against North Korea on Wednesday, with Mohammed Al-Sahlawi scoring two of the team’s four goals in a 4-1 win in which Naif Hazazi and Nawaf Al-Abid also got on the board.
Saudi Arabia coach Cosmin Olaroiu said that confidence-building victory boded well for its must-win match against Uzbekistan.
“I’m happy we won the game and also we had a good performance,” Olaroiu said after the match. “Now we have to forget it quickly to prepare for the next game against Uzbekistan.”
This is the fourth Asian Cup meeting between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, with the Saudis winning two of the previous three and Uzbekistan one.
CHINA VS. NORTH KOREA: A win over North Korea in Canberra will complete a perfect run through the group stage for China.
They have won their opening two games at the Asian Cup for the first time since 1988 but have never made it three.
China coach Alain Perrin was already celebrating his team’s group win after beating Uzekistan in Brisbane this week.
“We played a very beautiful match,” Perrin said after his side’s 2-1 win. “Now we can move to the knockout stage in the first ranking of the group. It’s fantastic.”
Ryang Yong Gi opened the scoring for North Korea early against Saudi Arabia. But in the end the North Koreans were outclassed 4-1.
North Korea has now lost eight and drawn two of their past 10 Asian Cup matches, and scored just three goals in their last nine games of the tournament.
However, one of North Korea’s three Asian Cup wins was a 2-1 victory over China in 1990.
China has won all three matches between the two teams since 2005.
Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan to decide quarters spot
Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan to decide quarters spot
Al-Attiyah claims victory at 2026 Hail Baja international rally
HAIL: The Hail Baja Toyota International Rally 2026 ended on Saturday with Nasser Al-Attiyah claiming overall victory, completing the event in a total time of 4 hours, 6 minutes, 23 seconds. Yazeed Al-Rajhi finished second with 4:07:05, while Dania Akeel secured third place with 4:20:47.
The event was organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Sport, the Hail Region Emirate and the Hail Region Development Authority, with Jameel Motorsport as official partner alongside the Saudi Motorsport Marshals Club.
The winners were crowned by Mansour Al-Mokbel, CEO of Saudi Motorsport Company, in the presence of Prince Abdulaziz bin Saad bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, chairman of the Hail Region Development Authority board.
The ceremony followed the second and final stage of the rally, which was hosted in Baqaa and covered a total distance of 323 km, including 151 km of the timed special stage.
The event brought together 152 drivers and navigators from 26 nationalities, including 72 Saudis, with 93 vehicles competing across six categories.
Overall classification — Hail Baja Toyota International Rally 2026
FIA Ultimate Category
Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qatar)
Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Saudi Arabia)
Dania Akeel (Saudi Arabia)
FIA Challenger Category
Yasir Bin Saiedan (Saudi Arabia)
Hamad Al-Wuhaibi (Oman)
Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari (Qatar)
FIA SSV Category
Fernando Alvarez (Argentina)
Mansour Al-Helai (UAE)
Erik van Loon (Netherlands)
FIA Stock Category
Majed Al-Thunayan (Saudi Arabia)
Abdullah Al-Shegawi (Saudi Arabia)
Al-Mashna Al-Shammari (Saudi Arabia)
FIM Motorcycles Category
Alex McInnes (Great Britain)
Mohammed Al-Balooshi (UAE)
Sultan Al-Balooshi (UAE)
FIM Quad Bikes Category
Hani Al-Noumesi (Saudi Arabia)
Abdulaziz Al-Atwi (Saudi Arabia)
Ahmed Al-Jaber (Saudi Arabia)
Saudi Toyota Baja Championship
Ultimate Cars Category
Faris Al-Shammari (Saudi Arabia)
Motab Al-Qnon (Saudi Arabia)
Khalaf Al-Shammari (Saudi Arabia)
SSV Category
Prince Sultan bin Turki bin Sultan (Saudi Arabia)
Mashael Al-Huwaish (Saudi Arabia)
Abdulmoeen Al-Shawaf (Saudi Arabia)
Stock Category
Mohammed Al-Asiri (Saudi Arabia)
Salem Al-Quraini (Saudi Arabia)
Hatem Al-Shammari (Saudi Arabia)
The Hail Baja international rally is considered one of the region’s premier motorsport events. It has been a key fixture on the desert rally calendar for more than two decades, offering high standards and an exciting sporting experience for both competitors and spectators. The rally also holds an important position on the calendars of several regional and international championships, reinforcing its status as one of the standout cross-country rallies in the region and reflecting Saudi Arabia’s growing reputation as a global motorsport destination.
