A Night of Asian Qualifier Shockwaves: 6 Teams Eliminated as China’s Men’s Squad Scores 30 Goals in 3 Straight Wins

On the evening of November 26, the third round of the U17 Asian Cup qualifiers kicked off, with China facing Brunei in Kuala Lumpur. While the match looked completely one-sided on paper, this game was decisive for the battle for the top spot in the group. China had already scored 18 goals in the previous two matches, giving them a strong goal-difference advantage—but Bangladesh also held a perfect record of three wins with zero goals conceded. With both teams destined to face each other in the final round, the eventual group winner would be determined entirely by this matchup.

Less than a minute after kickoff, China earned a penalty. Although Kuang Zhaolei’s shot was saved by the keeper, the pressure didn’t let up. From the resulting corner, Zhao Songyuan soared above the defense to head the ball home, opening the scoring. Soon after, a precise cross from Wan Xiang found Li Mingjie, who headed in China’s second. Zhao Songyuan followed with another header, and just before halftime, he struck again to complete a dominant first half. The scoreboard already read 6–0.

China maintained their relentless tempo into the second half. Zhao Songyuan went on to score three more, bringing his personal tally to six goals, while Zhang Bolin also netted three of his own. The final result—12–0—not only secured the victory but also set a new historic record for the Chinese U17 team.

Even more remarkable was China’s defensive performance. Across all three matches, opposing teams managed only two total shots on goal. With an extraordinary +30 goal differential, China temporarily held the top spot—but Bangladesh also had 18 goals and remained right behind. According to tournament rules, the seven group winners plus host nation Saudi Arabia qualify directly. Although China won all three games convincingly, everything still comes down to the final head-to-head clash with Bangladesh. With the numbers clear for all to see, the ultimate group qualifier will be determined by the outcome of that decisive showdown.