In the second round of the Panda Cup, China’s U19 national team, fielding a second squad, drew 1-1 with Australia, who recalled several players from European clubs. This result, combined with the senior national team’s two consecutive wins in the 18-team qualifiers and the U17 national team’s qualification for the U17 Asian Cup, marks a comprehensive revival for Chinese men’s football at all levels.
In the U17 Asian Cup qualifiers held in October, China was grouped with Bahrain, South Korea, and others. Leveraging home-field advantage, China defeated Bahrain 2-0 in the first round. Despite being held to a 2-2 draw by South Korea in the final moments, China successfully qualified for the U17 Asian Cup.
At the “Peace Cup” invitational tournament for U16 teams in August, China beat Vietnam 4-0 and Uzbekistan 2-1, although they lost 1-2 to Japan. With a record of 2 wins and 1 loss, China secured the championship over Vietnam based on head-to-head results.
Since China will host the U20 Asian Cup next year, the U19 national team does not need to participate in the qualifying rounds. However, to prepare for the main event, the U19 team has participated in a series of friendly matches. At an invitational tournament in June, the U19 team defeated Vietnam 1-0 and South Korea 2-0, and drew 0-0 with Uzbekistan, winning the tournament with a record of 2 wins and 1 draw. In two friendly matches against Iran in August, China recorded 1 win and 1 loss.
During this Panda Cup, due to the local teams not releasing their players, the U19 national team could not field its strongest lineup. However, they still achieved a convincing 6-0 victory over Mongolia in the first round. In the second round, facing an Australian team that had recalled several players from European clubs, China scored early in the first half and had multiple chances to score again. Despite some missed opportunities in the second half, they managed to secure a 1-1 draw against a strong opponent.
Meanwhile, the senior national team, after suffering three consecutive losses at the start of the 18-team qualifiers, has secured two consecutive wins by defeating Indonesia 2-1 and Bahrain 1-0. These victories have rekindled their hopes of advancing to the next stage as either the third or fourth-placed team, and even of securing a direct promotion as group runners-up.
