Afghanistan suffered a 1–0 defeat against Jordan in their opening Group D match of the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 qualifiers on Monday.
The Asian Football Confederation said Jordan had to work hard to overcome the Afghan team in Isa Town. A single goal separated the sides, giving Jordan three points while Afghanistan began the campaign without a point.
The result nevertheless reflected a closely contested match rather than a heavy defeat. Afghanistan remained within one goal of their opponents but could not find an equaliser before the final whistle.
In the group’s other opening fixture, Bahrain defeated Tajikistan 3–2. Ali Mahran scored a hat-trick for Bahrain, according to the AFC report.
The qualifying competition features a revised format. Eight group winners and the seven best second-placed teams will advance to the final tournament in China, where they will join the hosts. The lowest-ranked fourth-placed teams face relegation to the Development Phase of the next qualifying cycle.
Afghanistan is scheduled to face Tajikistan on Thursday before meeting host Bahrain on Sunday. Points from those two fixtures will be important because both group position and comparative second-place records determine advancement.
