The Chinese U20 women's team made a statement on Friday, routing Cambodia 7-0 in Yinchuan, in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the Chinese mainland, and securing back-to-back wins in Group E of the 2026 AFC Under-20 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers.
Lu Jiayu opened the floodgates with a brace of headers, netting in the 7th and 14th minutes to give China a 2-0 lead at the break. Her clinical finishing set the tone for a commanding performance.
After the interval, Wang Aifang curled in a free kick, Zheng Lu added a close-range finish, Zhang Yiqian struck twice, and substitute Xiao Yafei capped the scoring in stoppage time to seal the dominant victory.
China head coach Colin Bell admitted that the team's first-half display fell short of expectations, but praised the squad for showcasing the full extent of their strength and energy in the second half.
Meanwhile, in another Group E clash, Lebanon edged Syria 2-1 to keep their own qualification hopes alive.
The qualifiers feature eight groups, with group winners and the three best-performing runners-up advancing to the finals. Next up, China will face Lebanon on Sunday in a crucial showdown to top Group E.
Reference(s):
China thrash Cambodia 7-0 in U20 Women's Asian Cup qualifier
cgtn.com
