Qatar quash qualifying hopes as 10-man China crash out of AFC Under-23 Championship
Hosts take an early lead in 2-1 loss but draw would not have been enough as Uzbekistan beat Oman in the other Group A game
China’s under-23s crashed out of the AFC U-23 Championships after losing to Qatar in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, on Monday afternoon.
The hosts’ hopes of reaching the knockout rounds for the first time received a boost when they took the lead in the 4th minute through Yao Junsheng after good work by Deng Hanwen.
A red card on 41 minutes for captain He Chao for his second bookable offence reduced China to 10 men. This was quickly followed by an Almoez Ali goal just before half-time, leaving China with an uphill struggle to reach the knockout stages.
Massimiliano Maddaloni’s side’s task was then made more difficult thanks to Ali’s second strike with 13 minutes left.