In a surprising turn of events at the U17 Asian Cup, China’s under-17 men’s football team secured a spot in the quarterfinals despite finishing the group stage with a record of one win and two losses. After losing 0-1 to Indonesia and 1-2 to Japan in their first two matches, expectations were low for the young squad. However, on the final matchday on May 13, Beijing time, they delivered a decisive 2-0 victory over Qatar in Saudi Arabia.
The first goal came in the 14th minute when midfielder He Sifan cut inside and fired a shot from near the edge of the box. 
Later, in the 71st minute, substitute forward Zhang Bolin scored with a powerful header from distance. 
Despite Qatar’s late pressure, China held on for the win.
The group standings saw Japan finish top with three wins, while China, Indonesia, and Qatar ended in a three-way tie. With China beating Qatar 2-0, Qatar defeating Indonesia 3-0, and Indonesia edging China 1-0, the deciding factor was goal difference. Thanks to superior arithmetic—China had a goal difference of 0 (scored 3, conceded 3), compared to Qatar’s -2 and Indonesia’s -3—China finished second in the group and advanced to the quarterfinals. This marks the first time in 21 years that China’s U17 team has reached the U17 World Cup.
China’s U17 team will face hosts Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals on May 16 at 1:00 AM Beijing time. Meanwhile, the U17 Women’s Asian Cup is also ongoing, with China’s women’s team having already secured a semi-final spot and will face North Korea on May 14 at 7:30 PM Beijing time, after both teams won their respective matches with ease.
