China Youth Team Finish Runners-up in U17 Asian Cup After Narrow Defeat to Japan
Japan claimed its fifth U17 Asian Cup title after holding off China’s second-half rally in a 3-2 final.
- Japan defeated China 3-2 in the AFC U17 Asian Cup final on Friday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, securing their fifth tournament title.
- The Samurai Blue established a commanding 3-0 lead by halftime through goals from Tafuku Satomi in the 31st minute, Sho Saito in the 42nd minute, and Maki Kitahara in stoppage time.
- China rallied after the break as Wan Xiang chipped the ball over goalkeeper Kosei Oshita in the 48th minute, and Zhao Songyuan converted a penalty in the 79th minute to tighten the score to 3-2.
- The runner-up finish marks China's return to the U17 Asian Cup final for the first time in 22 years and secures qualification for the 2026 Fifa U-17 World Cup.
- With eyes now fixed on the Fifa U-17 World Cup in November, China's young talents have demonstrated they are a competitive force on the Asian stage moving forward.
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9 Articles
China pushes Japan to brink but falls short in AFC U17 Asian Cup final
In a gripping final of the AFC U17 Asian Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, China narrowly missed out on glory, finishing as runner-up after a 3-2 loss to Japan. The match began with Japan's Tafuku Satomi breaking the deadlock in the 31st minute, capitalizing
The Japanese U-17 national football team defeated China to lift the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-17 Asian Cup trophy. Japan secured a 3-2 victory after a fierce battle in the final match against China, held on the 23rd (Korean time) at the King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
China Sports Weekly (5.17-5.23)
BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:1. China finishes runner-up in AFC U17 Asian CupChina finished runner-up in the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup after suffering a 3-2 defeat to Japan in the final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on May 22.China enjoyed an impressive run in the tournament, reaching the final after overcoming Saudi Arabia 3-1
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