Afghanistan’s under-20 national team suffered a 4–1 defeat against Tajikistan on Thursday in the qualification phase of the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027.
Tajikistan scored three times before halftime and added another goal after the interval to secure its first victory in Group D. Afghanistan also found the net, but the Asian Football Confederation’s initial match report did not identify the scorer or provide a minute-by-minute account.
The result leaves Afghanistan with no points from two matches, having scored once and conceded five goals. The team began its campaign with a 1–0 defeat against Jordan on August 31.
Afghanistan will complete its group schedule against host Bahrain on Sunday. Tajikistan, which moved to three points, will face Jordan in its final fixture.
Under the qualifying format, the eight group winners and seven best runners-up advance to the 2027 finals alongside host China. Afghanistan’s precise qualification position will depend on the remaining Group D results.
The 4–1 result is a separate competitive development from ASJFNEWS’s earlier match preview, which was published before Thursday’s fixture.
