Official: China U23's number one goalkeeper and a series of key players miss the chance to face Vietnam U23 again

Several players who contributed to China U23's runner-up finish at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup are not participating in the 2026 CFA Team China competition, among them goalkeeper Li Hao.

On March 20, the Chinese Football Association announced the training roster for the national team and the U23 squad. Notably, the Chinese national team has undergone significant rejuvenation, with many U23 players called up such as Wang Yudong, Baihelamu, Hu Hetao, along with new faces like Xu Bin and Yang Xi.

Among them, Wang Yudong is precisely the player who scored against Vietnam U23 in China U23's 3-0 victory during the semifinals of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

Meanwhile, key pillars such as Yan Junling, Wei Shihao, and Zhang Yuning continue to play central roles, creating a blend of experience and youthful energy, helping to lower the average age of the squad. Coach Shao Jiayi will debut when the Chinese national team faces Curaçao (March 27) and Cameroon (March 31) successively.

At the U23 level, the squad mainly consists of players who have not yet been called up to the national team. A few key players from the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup are still included. However, this China U23 lineup clearly lacks many elements from the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup tournament, as some faces have been summoned to the national team.

China U23 will train in Xi'an and participate in the international 2026 CFA Team China tournament, an event featuring Vietnam U23.

The latest roster of China U23 still has several highlights. Peng Xiao, Xiang Yuwang, Bao Shengxin, Mutalifu, and Wang Bohao all played in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals, while young talents like Yu Jinyong, Chen Zeshi, and Yimulan are also included.

However, China U23 clearly lacks a very important figure who helped them reach the final of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup. That is goalkeeper Li Hao, who suffered a rib injury during a Chinese Super League round 2 match, preventing him from taking part in subsequent games.

As a crucial component of China U23, Li Hao performed excellently at the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals held in January, showcasing outstanding form. In that tournament, he kept a clean sheet in all five initial matches, making a total of 33 impressive saves over six games, contributing to China U23's runner-up achievement.

According to the schedule for the 2026 CFA Team China tournament announced by the organizers, the Vietnam U23 team will successively face North Korea U23 on March 25, compete against Thailand U23 on March 28, before challenging host China U23 in the final match on March 31.