China crushes Syria in U20 women's Asian Cup qualifiers opener

YINCHUAN -- China U20 women's national team opened its Group E campaign in the 2026 AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers with a 6-0 victory over Syria on Wednesday night at Yinchuan Sports Center Helanshan Stadium, Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

Playing as Group E hosts, China took control from the start. A quickfire double from Lu Jiayu put China in control, and goals from Zheng Lu and Zhang Yiqian widened the lead to 4-0 at halftime. Two more second-half goals sealed China's perfect start to the qualifiers.

"I was a bit nervous when I first stepped onto the pitch, but the home crowd really lifted me, and the team worked well together. I hope we keep this form in the next match," said MVP Xiao Yafei.

China head coach Colin Bell noted that many of his players were making their debuts. He added that the team had fought hard and delivered a solid result, but still has a long way to go, and would now focus on their next match against Cambodia on Friday.

Elsewhere in Group E, Lebanon defeated Cambodia 1-0.