U23 China will face U23 Vietnam in the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. Notably, the young team from the populous country entered this round with a special defensive record when they have not conceded any goals after four matches played.
In the group stage, U23 China showed a tight and disciplined playing style. This team successively drew U23 Iraq 0-0, won U23 Australia 1-0 and drew U23 Thailand 0-0. With that result, U23 China closed the group stage without conceding a goal, even though they only scored one goal.
After the group stage, U23 China was one of the two teams to keep a clean sheet, alongside U23 Japan. However, by the end of the quarter-finals, the East Asian representative became the only team that had not allowed the opponent to score in the tournament.
In the quarter-final match against U23 Uzbekistan, U23 China continued to maintain solidity in defense. The two teams drew 0-0 after 120 minutes of play, before U23 China won on penalties to reach the semi-finals of the AFC U23 Championship for the first time in history.
Effective defense ability, along with the stable form of goalkeeper Li Hao, is considered an important foundation to help U23 China go deep in this year's tournament. However, the attack of this team has not created many breakthroughs when they have only scored one goal after four matches.
The unbeaten record of U23 China promises to create a big challenge for U23 Vietnam in the upcoming semi-finals, in the context that coach Kim Sang-sik's team is in high form and the attack is playing effectively at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
