Xi'an, Shaanxi Province – Under bright floodlights and cool mountain air, China and Australia battled to a 0-0 draw in their final Group D showdown at the Under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers. The result was enough for Australia to top the group, while China sneaked into the finals as one of the four best runners-up 😅.
Australia had two golden opportunities: in the 39th minute, Nathanael Blair’s towering header was denied by China’s hero goalkeeper Li Hao. Then three minutes into the second half, Oscar Priestman’s close-range volley seemed destined for the net, only for Li to pull off another jaw-dropping save 🙌.
"We came here knowing it was going to be a tough match against a very good team," said Australia’s coach Antony Vidmar. "We really fought hard in difficult conditions, so we’re very proud."
On the other side, coach Antonio Puche Vicente praised his squad's spirit: "Before the qualifiers, I asked my players to bring Chinese football fans some happiness, because they’ve had few chances to feel it. Today, my players finished our mission. We fought like 11 terracotta warriors on the pitch." ⚔️
With this draw, both teams punched their tickets to the U23 Asian Cup finals, set to kick off in January 2026 in Saudi Arabia. Will China and Australia make deep runs in the desert showdown? Stay tuned! 🌟
Reference(s):
China, Australia qualify for U23 AFC Asian Cup finals after 0-0 draw
cgtn.com
