2026 AFC U23 Championship: After beating Uzbekistan in a penalty shootout, China U23 will face Vietnam U23 in the semifinals.

While Uzbekistan U23 entered the quarterfinals in strong form, topping Group C with wins such as a 2-0 victory over South Korea U23, China U23’s path was more modest, advancing from the group stage with only one goal scored against Australia U23 and two 0-0 draws against Thailand U23 and Iraq U23. This marks the first time in six appearances at the AFC U23 Championship that China U23 has progressed beyond the group stage.

However, another aspect revealed by these statistics is the excellent defensive capability of coach Antonio Vicente’s team. This was clearly demonstrated again in the quarterfinal match against Uzbekistan U23. Throughout 90 minutes of regular time and two extra periods, Uzbekistan created several dangerous chances, but their shots failed to beat goalkeeper Li Hao. The 21-year-old keeper once again delivered an outstanding performance in China U23’s tight defensive and counter-attacking strategy.

When the match went to a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, China U23 demonstrated superior composure and spirit. Conversely, Uzbekistan U23 missed two crucial penalties, resulting in a 2-4 defeat from the spot.

Thus, in the semifinal scheduled for 10:30 PM on January 20th (Vietnam time), China U23 will face Vietnam U23, following our team’s impressive 3-2 victory over the United Arab Emirates U23 the day before.