China's U17 football team began their 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 loss to hosts Saudi Arabia on Thursday. The match, played in front of an enthusiastic crowd, saw dramatic twists as both teams vied for early dominance in Group A.
Saudi Arabia capitalized on a rare goalkeeping error in the 11th minute when Abdulhadi Matari scored into an unguarded net after Chinese goalkeeper Yihesan Yilamu slipped during a clearance. The hosts extended their lead just before halftime through Osamah Al Daghmah's clinical counterattack finish.
China demonstrated resilience in the closing stages, with Wei Xiangxin scoring a brilliant solo goal in stoppage time to reignite hopes of a comeback. The result leaves China third in their group, behind Uzbekistan who thrashed Thailand 4-1 earlier in the day.
The tournament holds high stakes as Asia's qualifier for November's FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar, with only the top two teams from each group advancing automatically. China's next challenge comes on Sunday against Uzbekistan, while Saudi Arabia will face Thailand.
Football analysts emphasize that China remains in contention for knockout-stage progression, needing strong performances in their remaining group matches to secure a World Cup berth.
