Saudi Arabia marched into the round of 16 after registering a 2-0 victory over nine-men Kyrgyzstan at the AFC Asian Cup on Sunday.

Issam Abdallah Alsabhi (L) of Oman vies against Elias Dolah of Thailand during the Group F match between Thailand and Oman at AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 in Doha, Qatar, Jan. 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

In front of 39,557 fans at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Saudi Arabia, the three-time champion, grabbed its second win in a row to lead Group F with six points.

Earlier on Sunday, Thailand battled to a goalless draw with Oman and sat second with four points in the group, boosting its hopes of advancing to the knockout stage.

Playing with courage and intensity, Kyrgyzstan opened the match strongly but was reduced to 10 men after just nine minutes when Aizar Akmatov was shown a red card for a challenge on Sami Al Naji.

Saudi Arabia broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Saud Abdulhamid reacted fast to cross a rebound for Mohamed Kanno to convert it at the far post.

Kyrgyzstan's woes were compounded six minutes into the second half when Kimi Merk was also shown a red card after a challenge on Hassan Al Tambakti.

With dominance in ball control and the numerical advantage, Saudi Arabia had many chances but found it difficult to score against the resolute defense from Kyrgyzstan.

The second goal came six minutes before the end of normal time. Saudi substitute Faisal Al Ghamdi fired a long shot from the edge of the box, and goalkeeper Erzhan Tokotaev failed to punch it away, leaving the ball bouncing in the back of the net.

Kyrgyzstan, with no points from two games, will play Oman in its concluding tie in the group stage.

A total of 24 teams are competing in six groups at the Asian Cup, which runs from January 12 to February 10. Group winners and runners-up will advance to the knockout stage, along with the four best third-placed teams. 

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