China secured a commanding 6-0 victory over Bhutan in the AFC Under-17 Asian Cup qualifier held in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, on Wednesday. The win marks China's second consecutive triumph in the tournament, solidifying their position in Group C.
Despite a slow start, the home side broke the deadlock in the 34th minute when Wei Xiangxin headed in a precise cross from Zhang Chengrui, sending the ball into the far corner of the net.
Facing Bhutan's resilient defense, China's coach Kenichi Uemura introduced Li Xiang and Li Qitao to bolster the team's offensive play. Shortly after the start of the second half, Wei earned a penalty for China. Although Hebibilla Nurhaji's initial attempt was saved by the goalkeeper, he successfully converted the rebound to double the lead.
Just two minutes later, Li Xiang capitalized on an assist from Wei to score China's third goal. As the match progressed, China continued to create scoring opportunities, with Hebibilla netting his second goal in the 60th minute.
In stoppage time, Yang Qiandong and Li added two more goals, sealing a decisive win for the hosts.
With two consecutive victories, China sits in second place in Group C, behind South Korea on goal difference. China is set to face the Maldives in their next match in Dalian on Friday.
South Korea demonstrated their prowess by defeating the Maldives 13-0, with both Kim Ji-sung and Park Byeong-chan achieving hat-tricks. They will compete against Bahrain next before a crucial match against China on Sunday.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
