On May 13, Beijing time, the U17 Asian Cup continued in Saudi Arabia. Goals from He Sifan and Zhang Bolin secured a 2-0 victory for China’s U17 national team over Qatar, ending a 21-year drought by qualifying for the U17 World Cup. Following the match, several media figures shared their thoughts.
Journalist Chen Yong: “It wasn’t easy staying up until the end, but the 2009-born squad finally returned to the World Cup. The final moments were truly nerve-wracking. Last year, the 2010-born team trained in France, and Auxerre had high praise for Pan Chaowei. Despite being a year younger and facing criticism, they fought to the end—that’s courage and determination. After this tournament, we need to summarize and prepare for next year. Looking back at the three group matches, I have to say coach Fushimi’s tactical adjustments were average. In the Montaigu Tournament, Hohhot Four Nations, and the Peace Cup, the team was stable, but after dropping several players, the performance became a rollercoaster—completely different displays against the same opponent. With Liang Shiyu and Kuang Zhaolei injured during this Asian Cup, the team seemed lost. A coach like Antonio, who was steady with the 2004 U17s, 2003 U19s, and 2003 Asian Games teams, is hard to find.”
Media figure Lu Yang: “A narrow escape, but realistically, we are the second-strongest team in the group. However, winning one match to qualify for the World Cup is a scenario we’ve never seen before—no one expected it before the tournament. If this is the minimum target, the team’s Asian Cup journey cannot be considered a success. I hope they prove themselves in the knockout stages and deliver a worthy performance. Looking back at last year’s preliminary qualifiers, the outstanding results there weren’t reliable benchmarks. The real challenges start now. Several players in this team won the Golden Boy award with overwhelming votes ahead of Zhou Xinyi, who performed brilliantly in the Women’s U17 World Cup. I’ve always felt that was unfair. I hope our ‘golden boys’ can repay the trust they received last year with better performances.”
Journalist Xiao Kan: “Chinese football finally didn’t get tangled in arithmetic problems! The stars shine bright tonight!”
Media figure Li Pingkang: “The U17 team’s achievement is truly hard-earned—they’ve made it to the World Cup! It’s clear the players have individual talent, but the overall team cohesion is lacking. They need to change the coach quickly for the World Cup.”
Journalist Ma Dexing: “Anyone who went to the 2005 U17 World Cup in Peru, raise your hand? I waited 21 years to see another generation make it to the World Cup.”
Commentator Wang Yu: “What we lack most is exactly this kind of experience—facing difficulties, confusion, and escaping desperate situations to gain confidence. What we don’t lack is exaggerated praise or harsh criticism, and the rush for immediate results. We’ve seen every kind of misery in Chinese football. Let’s lighten up and let the kids relax, so they can truly show what they’ve worked so hard to develop.”