People's Daily Online, Beijing, January 12 (Reporter Ou Xingrong) – On the evening of January 11, Beijing time, the second round of Group D of the 2026 AFC U23 Men's Asian Cup was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Chinese team defeated the Australian team 1-0 thanks to Peng Xiao's goal in the first half, achieving their first victory in this tournament.
In the first round of Group D matches, China drew 0-0 with Iraq, while Australia narrowly defeated Thailand 2-1. For this round against Australia, China made slight adjustments to their starting lineup, with Yang Xi replacing Bao Shimeng, who was injured in the first round, and Mutalifu replacing Wang Bohao; the other positions remained unchanged.
After the match began, both teams exchanged attacks, but Australia had a greater advantage in possession. China, on the other hand, focused on defense, strictly adhering to their counter-attacking tactics and giving their opponents few opportunities. In the 43rd minute, Wang Yudong took a free kick from the attacking third, and Peng Xiao volleyed the ball into the net from inside the penalty area, breaking the deadlock. At halftime, China led 1-0.
In the second half, Australia intensified their attack, but Chinese goalkeeper Li Hao made several brilliant saves, denying numerous dangerous shots. In stoppage time, while Li Hao was making a save, the ball bounced off an Australian player's hand and into the net. However, after VAR (Video Assistant Referee) confirmation, the handball was disallowed. Ultimately, the Chinese team rallied and held on to their 1-0 lead until the final whistle.
After the match, China's head coach Antonio said that the players were very happy, as they had played a wonderful game and defeated a strong team. However, as head coach, he had to remain calm because the tournament was not over yet. "We have another group stage match in three days, which will be a tough game against Thailand, who are also very good."
In the other match in the same group this round, Iraq drew 1-1 with Thailand. After two rounds, China has one win and one draw, accumulating 4 points, ahead of Australia's 3 points, and temporarily ranking first in the group. On January 14th, Beijing time, China will face Thailand in the final round of the group stage; a draw will be enough for them to advance.
Source: People's Daily Online
