DUBAI, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- China rallied from 1-0 behind to beat Kyrgyzstan 2-1 in their AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Group C opener at the Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain on Monday.
It was the fourth consecutive win for China in a group opener in their Asian Cup history. They had crushed Malaysia 5-1 in the 2007 edition, beat Kuwait 2-0 in 2011 and edged Saudi Arabia 1-0 in 2015.
Asian Cup debutantes Kyrgyzstan extended their record for consecutive head-to-head losses to five.
Kyrgyzstan stunned China in the first half and went 1-0 ahead in the 42nd minute through midfielder Akhlidin Israilov who sent a low left-foot shot just outside the box.
However, the 50th minute witnessed a dramatic corner kick in which Kyrgyz goalkeeper Pavel Matiash tipped the ball into own net when he jumped high to try to defend.
China's midfielder Yu Dabao sent the ball into the open net in the 78th minute after he dashed into the box and danced past keeper Matiash.
With the victory, China lead Group C with three points and two goals, followed by favorites South Korea who only edged the minnows Philippines 1-0.
South Korea got the winner in the 67th minute when Hwang Ui-jo struck the ball from close range into the net at the Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.
The Philippine footballers directed by former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson showcased very tough defense in the duel.
China will play the Philippines on January 11 in Abu Dhabi, and then meet South Korea on January 16 also in Abu Dhabi.
China never lift any Asian Cup title, despite having played in two finals.
In Group D, Iran whitewashed Yemen 5-0 to begin their campaign in style as the three-time champions played beautifully throughout the game.
Iran's victory sees them go top of the Group D standings prior to tomorrow's encounter between fellow group hopefuls Iraq and Vietnam.
Iran will meet Vietnam in Abu Dhabi on January 12, while Yemen are set to play Iraq in Sharjah on the same day.
The AFC Asian Cup is the second oldest continental football championship after Copa America. The winning team qualifies for the FIFA Confederations Cup.
The 2019 AFC Asian Cup, the 17th edition of the tournament, is running from January 5 to February 1.
The United Arab Emirates was announced as the host for the tournament on March 9, 2015. It is the second time that the UAE hosts the tournament.
For the first time, the Asian Cup is contested by 24 teams instead of 16 teams.
Under this new format, the finalists will contest a group stage consisting of six groups of four teams, followed by a knockout stage of 16 teams.
