On May 13, Beijing time, in the U17 Asian Cup, China’s U17 national team faced Qatar. To advance, the team needed a two-goal win over Qatar and a Japanese victory over Indonesia. Both conditions were met: China won 2-0, and Indonesia lost 1-3 to Japan. China advanced miraculously, delighting fans, but there was also bad news. As the team booked its World Cup spot, the 17-year-old golden boy is a cause for worry—he recorded 0 goals and 0 assists in three games, with a rating lower than Pan Chaowei.
In the match against Qatar, the Chinese team went all out from the start, attacking aggressively. They scored in the 13th minute when He Sifan cut inside and fired a curling shot into the net, making it 1-0. China continued to create chances and finally scored a second goal in the 70th minute, with Zhang Bolin heading the ball past the Qatari keeper to seal a 2-0 victory.
In the group standings, Japan topped the group with three wins, while China, Qatar, and Indonesia were tied on three points. China advanced to the quarterfinals on goal difference, where they will face Saudi Arabia. This marks China’s return to the U17 World Cup after a 21-year absence from a major international tournament.
After three group matches, some fans were unhappy with 16-year-old Pan Chaowei’s performance, arguing that head coach Fu Shumin should have started Xu Zhengpeng instead. However, Pan Chaowei actually played solidly. Although he played mostly safe passes, he made two key passes, four clearances, and two interceptions against Qatar, earning a rating of 6.6. In reality, the most concerning starter for China was Shuai Weihao, whose form has dropped significantly compared to the qualifiers.
In the match against Qatar, Shuai Weihao had six shots with only one on target and one key pass, earning a rating of just 6.4. Throughout the Asian Cup, Shuai Weihao started every game but recorded neither a goal nor an assist, with only one shot on target from 11 attempts. Before the tournament, he was considered a core player for the team, but his performance has fallen short of expectations. As last year’s Chinese U17 Golden Boy award winner and the only player in the squad with a market value (€225,000), Shuai Weihao has clearly regressed.
This decline is partly due to his inability to play official matches regularly. Because of contract issues, Shuai Weihao was unable to register with Chengdu Rongcheng and hasn’t played in professional leagues. According to Transfermarkt, his ownership still belongs to Chengdu Derui. During this crucial period of development in his youth, the lack of systematic training and competition has hindered his progress.
In contrast, Wan Xiang, who plays for Red Star Belgrade, has provided three assists in the Asian Cup. Fans hope Shuai Weihao can find his form soon and score goals for the national team.
