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China through, N Korea out, Jordan fume

Triumph, heartbreak, controversy mark Asian Cup


Afp January 14, 2015 Less than a minute read
Wu Xi (R) of China celebrates his goal during the first round Asian Cup soccer match between China and Uzbekistan at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. PHOTO: AFP

MELBOURNE: Super-sub Sun Ke fired China into the Asian Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday as North Korea crashed out and Jordan fumed over a botched dope test that left a player ill.

Sun's superb solo effort after 68 minutes, moments after coming on, gave China a pulsating 2-1 victory over Uzbekistan and sent them into the knock-out stages for the first time since 2004.

But there was bitter disappointment for North Korea, who scored their first Asian Cup goal for 23 years but still lost 4-1 to Saudi Arabia and were eliminated.

Away from the pitch, Jordan lodged a formal protest after claiming a bungled doping procedure had left one of their players vomiting, in a ‘semi-coma’ and suffering with hypothermia.

Striker Ahmad Hayel could miss the game against Palestine tomorrow after he was made to drink "several litres of water" as he tried to provide a urine sample following Monday's 1-0 defeat by Iraq, according to the Jordanian Football Association.

 

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