Bangladesh will face hosts China on Sunday at 5.35pm BST in Chongqing in the final group match of the AFC Under 17 Asian Cup qualifiers, where victory will secure a place in next year’s main tournament in Saudi Arabia.
While the senior men’s team have already been eliminated from their Asian Cup campaign with two matches remaining, the U17s are on the brink of reaching the finals. Both Bangladesh and China sit level on 12 points, turning the final fixture into an unofficial final.
Bangladesh have played all four of their previous matches at 3pm local time, but Sunday’s meeting has been moved to the evening. The colder conditions in Chongqing are expected to challenge Bangladesh, and the scheduling is seen as a clear advantage for the hosts.
Bangladesh have scored 20 goals and conceded only one across their four games. China, however, have registered 38 goals without conceding. With a superior goal difference, China need only a draw to top the group, meaning Bangladesh must win to qualify, as only the group champions advance to the main round.
China’s strength on paper is evident. Their senior team sit 93rd in the FIFA rankings, whereas Bangladesh are 180th. Even so, captain Nazmul Huda Faisal said his side believe they can rise to the occasion. “We have won our previous four matches. The game against Bahrain was very tough,” he said. “This is the unofficial final. Whoever wins will qualify for the Asian Cup. China are a very strong team, but we will try our best to win and qualify.”
