In a dramatic conclusion to Group B of the U17 Asian Cup on May 13, Japan defeated Indonesia 3-1, while China edged Qatar 2-0, securing both teams’ spots in the quarterfinals and earning tickets to the U17 World Cup. Indonesia, despite a valiant effort, ended up at the bottom of the group.
The scenario before the final round was daunting for China. Japan had already secured the top spot with two wins, Indonesia held three points, and China sat at the bottom with zero points after two losses. The math was simple: China needed a win against Qatar, and they had to rely on Japan to beat Indonesia, as any points for Indonesia would dash China’s hopes.
Japan played with full intensity, refusing to show any leniency. They opened the scoring in the 28th minute through Ryoshin Koji, doubled the lead in the 59th minute via Takeru Wada, and after Indonesia pulled one back through Perez in the 70th minute, Shinichi Okamoto sealed the 3-1 victory late on.
Meanwhile, China rose to the occasion in a must-win clash. He Sifan broke the deadlock in the first half, and Zhang Bolin added a header to seal a 2-0 win, giving them a crucial three points.
The final standings saw a rare tie between China, Qatar, and Indonesia on three points each. Goal difference in their mini-league favored China (+1), with Qatar at 0 and Indonesia at -1, propelling China into second place and a thrilling qualification.
This marks a historic return for China’s U17 team to the U17 World Cup after a 21-year absence, last appearing in 2005. It also ends a long drought for Chinese men’s national teams at world-level tournaments.
In short, China earned their victory with a strong performance, and Japan upheld fair play by competing with full effort. It was a win-win that ended a generation’s wait.