A painful exit for China’s U23 team once again ignited outrage among players, fans, and pundits alike. In a match where they started strong and even took the lead within three minutes, China ultimately fell 2–1 to Qatar and crashed out of the U23 Asian Cup. While head coach Massimiliano Maddaloni remained composed, stating he wouldn’t comment on the refereeing and instead praised his players’ commitment in the first 35 minutes, the emotional aftermath told a deeper story. Across platforms like Cricket Exchange, the controversy has become a lightning rod for debate.
Forward Zhang Yuning was far more direct, openly criticizing the officiating. He argued that He Chao’s two fouls combined didn’t warrant a single yellow card, yet he received two and was sent off. At the same time, Hu Jinghang was fouled late in the game without even a warning being issued. Zhang called for the AFC to seriously investigate the refereeing standards, expressing deep frustration and saying that if Chinese football doesn’t learn to stand firm, then talent alone will not carry the team forward.
In response, the Chinese Football Association immediately filed an official protest with the AFC—the first of its kind regarding refereeing in a U23 tournament. However, the protest is unlikely to change the result. Despite taking the lead early, China conceded once in each half and were eliminated from the group stage once again, continuing a troubling trend. This was their third straight group-stage exit in the U23 Asian Cup, and they have recorded only one win across all three tournaments—a pattern that’s difficult to dismiss as coincidence.
This match also exposed recurring defensive issues. Qatar’s equalizer came after a glaring mistake from Gao Junyi, while the winning goal was due to a hesitant decision from goalkeeper Zhou Yuchen. The team’s frustration boiled over after the final whistle, with Liu Yiming approaching referee Alireza Faghani smiling, but his eyes filled with visible anger. Other players were more confrontational, needing coaches to intervene before things escalated further. The numbers spoke volumes—China received seven yellow cards and one red, while Qatar received only one yellow.
He Chao’s second yellow card in the 41st minute put China a man down for over half the match. Although Faghani’s bookings could be defended individually, many observers pointed out that he ignored several harsh challenges from Qatar—a clear case of double standards. This echoed a painful memory from four years earlier, when the 1995-born Chinese squad also lost to Qatar under controversial officiating.
Still, as much as questionable calls stung, the hard truth is that China had no easy path to victory even under fair circumstances. The team must learn to adapt to different refereeing styles instead of letting frustration take over. A look at historical records adds to the disappointment: since defeating Qatar in the 2004 U19 Asian Championship, China hasn’t beaten them at the youth level. This latest defeat marks six straight losses to Qatar’s youth teams.
Even as the U23 reform policies from the Chinese FA bring promise and visibility to emerging players, it’s clear the current generation still lags behind Asia’s elite. Fans tracking China’s performances on Cricket Exchange are left to wrestle with the same question yet again: how far is China from becoming truly competitive at the continental level? With more structure, better mental preparation, and fairer officiating, the hope is that future editions will tell a different story—one where early goals lead to lasting triumph, not more heartbreak.