China pushes Japan to brink however falls brief in AFC U17 Asian Cup closing

China gamers pose for group photograph after the AFC U17 Asian Cup closing in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 22, 2026. /VCG

In a gripping closing of the AFC U17 Asian Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, China narrowly missed out on glory, ending as runner-up after a 3-2 loss to Japan.  

The match started with Japan’s Tafuku Satomi breaking the impasse within the thirty first minute, capitalizing on a move from Takeshi Wada and slotting the ball in from a difficult angle. The Samurai Blue prolonged their lead simply earlier than halftime. Kakeru Saito acquired a pinpoint by ball, deftly rounded China’s goalkeeper Qin Ziniu, making it 2-0 within the forty second minute.

As the primary half drew to an in depth, Maki Kitahara added a 3rd aim in stoppage time, hanging from outdoors the penalty space and leaving Japan with a commanding 3-0 lead on the interval.

However, China displayed tenacity and grit upon returning to the pitch. Just three minutes into the second half, Wan Xiang launched a fast counterattack, chipping the ball over Japanese keeper Kosei Oshita to tug one again for China.  

The match took a dramatic flip within the 79th minute when Zhao Songyuan was fouled within the field, incomes China a penalty. The 17-year-old confidently transformed the spot-kick, setting the stage for a tense finale because the rating tightened to 3-2.  

In a frantic push for an equalizer, China threw all the pieces ahead, but Oshita was determined, denying a last-minute header that might have levelled the match.  

As the ultimate whistle blew, Japan celebrated their fifth U17 Asian Cup title, whereas China, regardless of the frustration, concluded a powerful match run. With eyes now firmly mounted on the FIFA U17 World Cup in November, China’s younger abilities have proven they’re a power to be reckoned with on the Asian stage, guaranteeing that the journey is way from over.

Source: CGTN