Kuala Lumpur: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has congratulated Japan for clinching the AFC U-19 Championship Bahrain 2016 title at the Bahrain National Stadium on Sunday.
In a closely contested encounter, Japan overcame a determined Saudi Arabia 5-3 on penalties after 0-0 draw to win their first-ever U-19 continental championship in their history after 36 attempts.
AFC President Shaikh Salman said: “I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Japan for an outstanding campaign. I must also praise Saudi Arabia for displaying utmost determination to the final whistle. Both teams played some tremendous football throughout the course of the competition, culminating in an exhilarating finale.
“I am heartened by the performance of our young Asian footballers, a clear sign of a successful future for Asian football.”
The AFC President went on to thank the Local Organising Committee for staging an exemplary competition: “For more than a year, the LOC, together with the Bahrain Football Association, has been working tirelessly to the set the perfect stage for Asia’s finest young talents to thrive and shine. I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to every staff member and volunteer for doing their part to deliver a truly memorable tournament.
“I must also thank the numerous government agencies and corporate partners for their unwavering support and spirit of partnership in ensuring the success of the event.”
Sunday’s final concluded 18 days of high-intensity competition at the AFC U-19 Championship Bahrain 2016. For the third successive edition, Asia will be represented by four different zones at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017, reflecting the widespread progress of the continent.
The championship also had a big impact on social media, with the AFC’s Twitter account, reaching 3,000,000 impressions, an impressive 400% higher than the 2014 championship. The AFC’s Facebook account also marked a significant increase from 91,596 impressions in the previous edition to 3,571,987 impressions in this championship. The championship also contributed extensively to the 5,458,363 minutes of action viewed on the AFC official YouTube channel this month.
Photo: AFC
Source: the-afc.com