In a thrilling final group stage match of the U17 Asian Cup early on May 13, China’s U17 national team secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Qatar, earning a spot in the knockout rounds and, more importantly, a ticket to the U17 World Cup (World Youth Championship) for the first time in 21 years.
Having lost both of their opening group matches and sitting on zero points, China faced a must-win scenario: they needed to beat Qatar by at least two goals to advance. The young squad delivered under pressure, scoring twice and holding firm defensively to clinch progression.
Veteran Chinese football journalist Ma Dexing was visibly emotional about the achievement. “Who else here was at the 2005 U17 World Cup in Peru? It’s been 21 years—finally, we’re going back,” he wrote.
Journalist Xiao Kan praised the team for not falling into the trap of complex qualification scenarios. “Chinese football rarely escapes the ‘math problem’ in the final round. Tonight, the stars aligned,” he commented.
Media commentator Lu Yang was cautiously optimistic. “We scraped through from the brink of elimination. Based on form, we were arguably the second-strongest team in this group. But the fact that one win secured a World Cup spot is a script we’ve never seen before. This team’s Asian Cup journey can’t be considered a success with just that minimum requirement. I hope they can prove themselves in the knockout stages with a performance worthy of their talent.”
However, not all reactions were purely celebratory. Several analysts questioned the team’s Japanese head coach, Fushimi Satoshi. Reporter Chen Yong said, “Looking back at the three group games, Fushimi’s tactical coaching is average at best. The whole team rides a roller coaster—completely different performances even against the same opponent.”
Media personality Li Pingkang echoed this sentiment. “The U17 team’s achievement is incredible, but their individual skills are clearly better than their overall team play. They urgently need a new coach before the World Cup.”
The result marks a historic milestone for Chinese youth football, ending a two-decade absence from the global stage. Yet, with questions swirling about the coaching staff, attention now turns to the knockout rounds and whether the team can build on this momentum.