In a challenging night for Chinese football, the national team was overwhelmed by Japan with a staggering 7-0 loss in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifier. The match took place at the Saitama Stadium 2002 in Saitama, Japan, on Thursday.
Japan showcased their prowess with Takumi Minamino scoring two goals, while Wataru Endo, Kaoru Mitoma, Junya Ito, Daizen Maeda, and Takefusa Kubo each found the back of the net. The Japanese team dominated the game, launching a total of 17 shots, nine of which were on target, and converting seven into goals. They also maintained a commanding lead in ball possession, controlling 77.2% of the game compared to China’s 22.8%, and secured five corner kicks to China’s two.
Conversely, the Chinese players struggled offensively, managing only one shot, which was off target. This defeat marks the second-biggest international loss for China, following an 8-0 defeat to Brazil in 2012. It has been 26 years since China last defeated Japan in a football match.
China’s head coach, Branko Ivankovic, reflected on the performance, stating, \"We specifically focused on defense during our pre-match preparations, but we conceded too many goals during the game, and some of those should not have happened. Twelve of the players on this national team are relatively new to international competition. The opponents in the final stage of Asian qualification are very strong, and such important games are valuable experiences, but also serve as lessons for younger players.\"
The other matches in Group C saw Bahrain causing an upset with a 1-0 victory over Australia at Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast, while Indonesia and Saudi Arabia ended their game in a 1-1 draw at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The top two teams from the group will secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams will move on to compete in the fourth round.
Reference(s):
China's coach Ivankovic on 7-0 loss to Japan: 'most difficult night'
cgtn.com
