The Chinese team defeated Uzbekistan 4:2, advancing to the U23 Men's Asian Cup semifinals for the first time in history.
According to China News Service, on Saturday (January 17) local time, in the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC U23 Men's Asian Cup held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Chinese team and the Central Asian powerhouse Uzbekistan battled into a penalty shootout. In the end, the Chinese team won 4:2 and advanced to the semifinals for the first time.
The two sides kept the score at 0:0 and fought into a penalty shootout. Uzbekistan missed their third penalty, and their fourth was saved by Chinese goalkeeper Li Hao. Ultimately, the Chinese team reached the semifinals.
According to the schedule, China will face Vietnam on the 20th local time. Vietnam defeated the United Arab Emirates in extra time in the quarterfinals.