The 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing.
The tournament was marked by Saudi Arabia's unexpected failure to even make it out of the first round; a surprisingly good performance by Bahrain, which finished in fourth place; Jordan, which reached the quarterfinals in its first appearance; and Iraq, which reached the quarterfinals. The final match between China and Japan was marked by post-match rioting by Chinese fans near the north gate of Beijing Worker's Stadium, in part due to controversial officiating and anti-Japanese sentiment resulting from historical tensions.
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