China’s national football team faced a challenging night on Tuesday as they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat against Japan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifying tournament held in Xiamen, southeast China’s Fujian Province. The loss drops China to the bottom of Group C, intensifying their struggle in the qualifiers.
In a match that saw limited opportunities in the opening half-hour, Japan broke the deadlock in the 39th minute. Koki Ogawa capitalized on a corner kick from the left, delivering a precise header into China’s goal to give Japan a 1-0 lead.
Before the first half concluded, Japan extended their advantage. A well-placed header pass from Koki Machida found Ko Itakura, who made no mistake in pushing the score to 2-0 for the visitors. The successive goals from set-pieces highlighted China’s vulnerability in defending corner kicks.
This encounter marked the second meeting between the two teams at this stage of the tournament. Previously, Japan had overwhelmed China with a 7-0 victory, initiating a three-game losing streak for the Chinese side. China had managed to bounce back with consecutive wins against Indonesia and Bahrain, but the latest defeat against Japan poses a significant setback.
China now faces an uphill battle as they aim to reignite their campaign in the upcoming matches. The team will need to reassess their strategies and bolster their performance to keep their hopes alive for the 2026 World Cup.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
