The U18 men's football tournament at the 15th National Games has kicked off, with the host Guangdong team securing a winning start.

Reporter Wang Wei reporting. On October 14 afternoon, the U18 men's football competition of the 15th National Games began at Shenzhen Sports Center Stadium. In the opening match, the host Guangdong team played against Henan, with Guangdong winning 4-2, powered by goals from Buniamin, Zhu Xinyu, and Wei Xiangxin. Throughout the game, Guangdong national youth players such as Buniamin, Wei Xiangxin, Jiang Zhiqin, Liu Jiale, Huang Shenghao, and Liu Binglin all showed impressive performances.

Guangdong lined up in a 3-4-3 formation, with goalkeeper Li Jinping wearing number 1 starting. Defenders Guo Wuyue (30), Liu Binglin (28), and Li Tianyou (6) formed the three center backs. Zhong Wenze and Jiang Zhiqin played as the left and right wing-backs. Luo Hongbao and Liu Jiale took the double defensive midfield roles. Up front were Buniamin (25), He Jialin (9), and Zhu Xinyu (7).

Among Guangdong’s starting players, Liu Jiale, Jiang Zhiqin, Buniamin, and Liu Binglin are members of the U17 Asian Youth Championship national youth team. Players with national team experience such as Wei Xiangxin, Huang Shenghao, Wen Zhanlin, Zhao Chenwei, and Yang Zhanpeng were on the bench, ready to come on.

The Guangdong squad is composed of players from Meizhou Hakka, Guangzhou Leopards, Qingyuan Football School, and several city teams across Guangdong. Many players have been selected for various levels of national youth teams, giving them a certain overall advantage compared to Henan.

Right from the start of the first half, Guangdong launched attacks mainly down the wings, with left wing-back Zhong Wenze posing a significant threat on the left flank. At the 12th minute, Guangdong’s offensive pressure paid off when, in a scramble near Henan’s goal, Guangdong’s number 7 Zhu Xinyu scored from close range, making it 1-0!

At the 18th minute, Guangdong player Buniamin received a cross inside the penalty area and fired a powerful shot to score the second goal. Four minutes later, Henan capitalized on a corner kick: number 20 Jia Qichang’s shot hit the crossbar, then bounced off Guangdong’s goalkeeper into the net, reducing the deficit to 1-2.

Playing as the left winger, Guangdong’s Buniamin was in excellent form, causing great disruption to Henan’s defense and demonstrating his national team caliber. In the 29th minute, he received a pass from teammate Liu Jiale on the left and scored a brilliant goal, securing his second of the match and extending Guangdong’s lead to 3-1.

In the second half, both teams made substitutions, and Henan began to increase their attacking efforts. At the 57th minute, Henan earned a penalty inside Guangdong’s box; number 8 Sun Yaowu converted it, narrowing the score to 2-3.

During the second half, Huang Shenghao from Guangzhou Leopards and Wen Zhanlin from Meizhou Hakka came on as substitutes. When the team’s defense was under pressure, Wei Xiangxin and Yang Zhanpeng also entered the game, easing defensive strain and applying significant offensive pressure on Henan. In stoppage time, Guangdong’s Wei Xiangxin from Meizhou Hakka scored the fourth goal on a counterattack. Ultimately, Guangdong won 4-2 over Henan.

Guangdong head coach Li Haoming said after the match: “The National Games are held every four years and are very important; every match is tough. The team’s preparation time was short, but the kids held strong. We will review and summarize next; I hope the players can let go of pressure and burdens. Even at home, each game should be played as if it’s the last, fighting match by match. Today, many players’ families came to watch, so there was some nervousness, but I believe the team will improve game by game.”

Regarding Guangdong’s number 10 Wei Xiangxin’s performance after coming on as a substitute, Li Haoming said: “Wei Xiangxin is a young player who has scored in the Chinese Super League. He works hard and is very proactive. With further integration into the team, he will gradually get into better form.”

On Guangdong’s goals, Li Haoming stated, “We will do our best and fight match by match. Just like eating a meal one bite at a time, we take it one game at a time.”

Speaking about playing at Shenzhen Sports Center Stadium, Li Haoming said, “This is the players’ first time competing in such a high-quality stadium environment. The event services are even at the Chinese Super League level. Playing in such a stadium excites the kids and strengthens their passion for football, making them even more eager to play professionally.”

Buniamin, who scored twice for Guangdong, said after the match: “Our team performed very well today. I hope the team continues to improve. I have confidence in our attack and we play with confidence. I hope to score in every match and aim for the top scorer title. We still have two group matches ahead, and we will fight hard to win those games and then battle match by match in the quarterfinals.”

Wei Xiangxin of Meizhou Hakka wore the number 10 jersey for the first time and scored Guangdong’s fourth goal after coming on in the second half. “I hope my form keeps improving and that I can help the team, aiming to win the championship. My personal goal is to score more goals and support the team.” Regarding the fierce competition at the National Games, Wei Xiangxin said, “We won’t underestimate any opponent and will strive to perform well in every match.”