On the evening of May 12, the third round of the U17 Asian Cup group stage kicked off. China’s U17 men’s team, competing in Group B, will face Qatar in a decisive match on May 13 at midnight. The starting lineup for this must-win encounter has been revealed. Compared to the previous loss against Japan, head coach Fu Shimin made only one change to the starting eleven.
**Starting Lineup**
China U17 (4-4-2):
Goalkeeper: 1-Qin Ziniu
Defenders: 2-Jin Yucheng, 3-Nan Zixun, 4-Li Junpeng, 5-Zhang Xuyao
Midfielders: 11-Shuai Weihao, 6-Zhou Yunuo, 15-Pan Chaowei, 7-He Sifan
Forwards: 14-Zhao Songyuan, 10-Wan Xiang
Substitutes: 8-Kuang Zhaolei, 9-Xie Jin, 12-Jiang Cheng’en, 13-Wang Heyi, 16-Wang Xiushao, 17-Xu Zhengpeng, 18-Bian Weihao, 19-Peng Xianchen, 20-Zhang Bolin, 21-Kong Xinuo, 22-Liu Zhicheng, 23-Zhu Yuxuan
**Group Standings and Qualification Scenario**
After two rounds, Japan leads Group B with two wins (6 points), while Qatar and Indonesia are tied with one win and one loss (3 points each). China’s U17 team sits at the bottom with two losses (0 points).
The path to advancement is clear but challenging: China must first hope Japan defeats Indonesia in the final round. Then, China itself must beat Qatar—any draw or loss would result in elimination and missing the U17 World Cup. Even a narrow one-goal victory might not be enough to top the group, but it could still give China a 60-70% chance of qualifying for the World Cup based on other results. This marks a crucial moment for the team, as China has not participated in the U17 World Cup since 2005.
