The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has officially announced the list of 26 players called up to the U22 team, including 8 names from the U20 team that just participated in the 2025 AFC U20 Championship.
These players include: Yi Mulan, Kuai Jiwen, Mao Weijie, Yang Xi, Peng Xiao, Chen Zeshi, He Yiran and Wang Yifan. However, these are not the best factors from the U20 team.
The appearance of many young players from the U20 team has made coach Antonio Puche's call-up list a controversial topic. Many people believe that coach Puche's decision is a bold experiment when he puts his trust in young faces to face strong opponents. However, some fans criticized him for removing many current U22 players, making the squad lack consistency and experience.
China's 163 news site commented that this decision to call up the U20 player is a different step compared to previous seasons, opening up questions about China's competitiveness in the upcoming tournament.
With the mixing of U22 China and U20 players, the 2025 CFA Team China tournament promises to be a great opportunity for U22 Vietnam. Coach Dinh Hong Vinh's team will take advantage of this opportunity to prepare for the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers and the 33rd SEA Games.
The upcoming tournament is not only an opportunity for the teams to show their mettle, but also an opportunity for coaches to evaluate and build squads for important tournaments in the future.
