FA Official Website: China U-16 Men’s Football Team Wins the Peace Cup; Wei Xiangxin Named Best Player of the Tournament

According to the official website of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), on the evening of August 20, the 2024 CFA China Team Shenyang “Peace Cup” International Football Invitational Tournament concluded successfully at Shenyang City Stadium. The Chinese U-16 men’s team won the championship with two wins and one loss in this event. Despite having the same points as the Chinese team, Vietnam’s U-16 men’s team finished second due to an inferior head-to-head record. Japan’s U-16 men’s team placed third with one win, one draw, and one loss, while Uzbekistan’s U-16 men’s team ranked last with one draw and two losses.

To better prepare the Chinese U-16 men’s team for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers Group C matches in October this year, the CFA China Team Shenyang “Peace Cup” invited three teams of the same age group: the champion of the 2023 AFC U17 Asian Cup, Japan; the semi-finalist, Uzbekistan; and the strong Southeast Asian team, Vietnam. This is also the first time that the Chinese U-16 men’s team has officially appeared before a large audience of domestic fans since being taken over by Japanese coach Kamikage Kenichi and officially inaugurated in February this year.

With the conclusion of the CFA China Team Shenyang “Peace Cup” International Football Invitational Tournament, the Chinese team won the championship, with player No. 19 Wei Xiangxin named the best player of the tournament, and goalkeeper Yihesan Yilamu winning the title of best goalkeeper of the tournament.

After experiencing three high-intensity, fast-paced matches, Chinese U-16 men’s team head coach Kamikage Kenichi stated that both achievements and issues were revealed. Through this competition, he expressed greater confidence in the team’s chances of advancing in the AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers. Kamikage Kenichi said, “Being able to compete against teams like Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and Japan in this four-nation tournament was very valuable. I hope that the experience gained from this tournament will be beneficial for our future AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers, and I hope we can achieve good results and advance smoothly. Our goal is to reach the quarter-finals of next year’s U17 Asian Cup and strive to qualify for the World Cup.”