In a dominant performance, China’s U17 women’s football team cruised to a 3-0 victory over India in the quarterfinals of the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup on the evening of May 11, securing their place in the tournament’s semifinals and a spot at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
Playing at home, the Chinese side controlled the match from start to finish. The team had previously topped Group A with three consecutive wins, including a 6-0 thrashing of Myanmar, a 3-0 victory over Vietnam, and another 6-0 win against Thailand. In contrast, India advanced as the best third-placed team from Group B with just one win in three matches.
Head coach Ma Xiaoxu made six changes to the starting lineup, reflecting the team’s depth and confidence. The starting XI was set in a 3-4-3 formation: Goalkeeper Niu Ziqi; defenders Chen Jiachun, Zheng Niman, and Liu Yuchen; midfielders Yang Ruixue, Yang Lan, Zhao Siqing, and Li Yaqi; forwards Wang Chenxi, Huang Qinyi, and Liu Yuxi.
The breakthrough came in the 38th minute when Liu Yuxi provided a cross from the right, and Huang Qinyi slotted home from close range to make it 1-0. Just before halftime, in the third minute of added time, Liu Yuxi was fouled in the box and converted the resulting penalty herself to double the lead to 2-0.
In the 89th minute, substitute Li Qixian, set up by Cheng Wandi, sealed the victory with a clinical finish, making the final score 3-0.
This win marks the fifth time China’s U17 women’s team has qualified for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup. With this result, the semifinal lineup for the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup is now complete: Japan, Australia, China, and North Korea. All four teams have also secured their tickets to the global tournament.
China will face defending champions North Korea in the semifinals. North Korea advanced after defeating Thailand in their quarterfinal clash. The highly anticipated match is scheduled for May 14 at 19:30 local time.
Congratulations to the young Chinese talents for their impressive achievement!