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\u25b2 China\u2019s U-17 team, widely billed as the country\u2019s strongest ever, suffered a shock defeat to Indonesia in the Asian Cup group-stage opener \u2014 a stinging result after they had beaten Indonesia 10-2 across two friendlies earlier this year. \u24d2 Chinese Football Association<\/p>\n
[SPOTV News = Reporter Cho Yong-woon] Chinese football is in shock after a stunning upset in Jeddah.<\/p>\n
In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, China fell 0-1 to Indonesia in the opening Group B match of the 2026 AFC U-17 Asian Cup. Indonesia entered the game as the underdog, but China stumbled to a surprising defeat.<\/p>\n
The tournament hands out berths to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar this November to the top eight teams. Winning the opener would have positioned China favorably for qualification and a smoother path through the knockout rounds; instead, the loss puts them on the back foot from the start.<\/p>\n
What made the result especially shocking was the expectation around this squad \u2014 it had been labeled a \u201cgolden generation.\u201d In last year\u2019s U-17 Asian Cup qualifying, China went 5-0, scoring 42 goals and conceding none, running past Bahrain, East Timor, Brunei, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh with authority.<\/p>\n
China also entered the match with a psychological edge over Indonesia. The teams met twice in friendlies this year, with China winning 7-0 and 3-2, creating confidence that a convincing group-stage opener was likely.<\/p>\n
On the surface, China controlled the match. They posted about 60% possession and registered 19 shots. But their finishing was abysmal: despite several clear opportunities, they repeatedly failed to convert. Indonesia decided the match with a single on-target effort \u2014 in the 42nd minute of the second half \u2014 capitalizing late when concentration mattered most.<\/p>\n
The loss sparked panic at home, and criticism has poured in aimed at Japan-born head coach Toshimitsu Ukijima. Prominent Chinese pundit Miao Yuan warned of serious problems within the squad\u2019s internal environment and expressed doubts about China\u2019s chances of reaching the World Cup.<\/p>\n
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\u25b2 China\u2019s U-17 team, widely billed as the country\u2019s strongest ever, suffered a shock defeat to Indonesia in the Asian Cup group-stage opener \u2014 a stinging result after they had beaten Indonesia 10-2 across two friendlies earlier this year. \u24d2 Chinese Football Association<\/p>\n
Miao argued that a team with a clear talent advantage inexplicably deployed a baffling starting lineup and made puzzling substitutions in an official match, suggesting the issues go beyond simple tactical mistakes. Public sentiment has turned to questioning Ukijima\u2019s decision-making.<\/p>\n
Chinese outlet Sina Sports pointed out China\u2019s average squad height of 180 cm (about 5 ft 11 in), compared with Indonesia\u2019s 173 cm (about 5 ft 8 in), noting China\u2019s past wins relied heavily on aerial dominance. The outlet criticized Ukijima for benching 190+ cm striker Zhao Songyuan and instead fielding smaller players in central positions, a move it called hard to justify.<\/p>\n
The piece grew more scathing, saying Ukijima\u2019s behavior appeared odd and that there\u2019s clearly a coaching problem behind the team\u2019s limp collapse to an opponent they once beat by seven goals. The article even asked whether there had been reports of Ukijima suffering a brain disease, accusing the coach\u2019s management of the squad of looking irrational.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, South Korea \u2014 coached by Kim Hyun-joon \u2014 drew 1-1 with the United Arab Emirates in their Group C opener. Korea fell behind in the eighth minute but salvaged a hard-fought draw when An Ju-wan scored the equalizer in the 43rd minute of the second half. Korea will face Vietnam in their second match on the 11th.<\/p>\n
![\"\u25b2\"](\"https:\/\/cdn-union.tenbizt.com\/contents\/crawler-dev\/image\/2026\/05\/CP-2022-0020\/image-6c84298f-dd9e-48fa-8396-30f7e4388634.png\")
\u25b2 China\u2019s U-17 team, widely billed as the country\u2019s strongest ever, suffered a shock defeat to Indonesia in the Asian Cup group-stage opener \u2014 a stinging result after they had beaten Indonesia 10-2 across two friendlies earlier this year. \u24d2 AFC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
China’s U17 football team suffered a shocking 0-1 defeat to Indonesia in their Asian Cup opener, facing criticism for tactical issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/cdn-union.tenbizt.com\/contents\/crawler-dev\/thumbnail\/2026\/05\/CP-2022-0020\/thumb-7def6e97-e972-40dc-86c0-4218ebcf942e.jpg","footnotes":""},"categories":[278095],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-259747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n