The destructive power of U17 China

China finished the U17 Asian qualifiers with an extremely impressive record.

Playing at home with superior physical strength, even technique and a tightly organized playing style, U17 China turned Group A into their own stage. The young East Asian team won all 5 matches, scored 42 goals and did not concede any, a message strong enough to make the rest of Asia wary.

That domination journey started with a 4-0 victory over Bahrain, an opponent considered to have good technical quality. The match clearly exposed the way U17 China deployed strong pressing and completely controlled the tempo.

But that start was just the beginning of a series of “destructive” defeats. Timor-Leste was defeated 14-0, Brunei lost 12-0, Sri Lanka received an 8-0 defeat before Bangladesh became the final victim with a 4-0 loss. Five matches, 15 absolute points, a goal difference of +42, no goals conceded – that is no longer a qualifying round, but a statement of strength.

Only U17 Vietnam can approach that form when leading Group C with a goal difference of +30 and also not conceding any goals. However, the dominance of U17 China is still more prominent: good physique, high speed, clear tactical thinking and even squad depth. Those factors show that Chinese youth football is nurturing the ambition to return to the continental map.

If they can maintain this form, China U17 will certainly be a formidable unknown at the 2026 AFC U17 Championship. More importantly, the convincing performance in the qualifying round has helped Chinese fans rekindle their faith, which has faded after many years of decline for the national team. This could be a signal for a new generation carrying the hope of reviving football in this country.