China's Asian Games bronze ends 28-year men's medal wait

China’s men’s under-23 side won Asian Games bronze in Japan on Saturday, beating Uzbekistan on penalties after a 2-2 draw in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture. It is the country’s first medal in the competition’s men’s football event since 1998.

Coach Antonio Puche said the result showed the potential of a squad that also includes several players who are regulars with China’s senior national side. The bronze follows China’s runner-up finish at the Under-23 Asian Cup in February.

Bronze ends a long wait

China last reached the Asian Games men’s football podium in Bangkok in 1998, when they also took bronze. They have never won gold in the event, which features under-23 squads that can include three overage players.

Puche was encouraged by what his team achieved in Aichi-Nagoya. “These players for me have a fantastic future,” he said after the match against Uzbekistan.

“We need to work, we need to push them because we have players with big quality and big heart, and this is very important in football.” The result gives China another youth-level success in a year that began with their second-place finish at the Under-23 Asian Cup.

Senior side faces a different picture

The medal came a day after China’s senior team lost 5-0 at home to Palestine. The senior side had also been beaten 3-0 at home by New Zealand in a friendly last week, while several of its regulars were with Puche’s Asian Games squad.

China have qualified for the World Cup only once, in 2002. Puche backed senior team coach Shao Jiayi to turn things around after Friday’s defeat.

“The result of that last match wasn’t very good, that’s for sure,” Puche said. “But the head coach is very capable and resilient and he will use this loss to make the team better.”

For China, Saturday’s bronze ends a 28-year wait for another Asian Games men’s football medal.