Reported by Wang Wei On January 7th, the China U20 women's national team, led by head coach Colin Bell, reached the Zhaoqing New District Sports Center for a month-long training session. This camp will emphasize stamina building, tactical polishing, and squad integration to reinforce the team’s tactical identity and improve technical consistency during intense matches, preparing thoroughly for the Asian Cup.

Dominant Victory in Qualifiers Secures Advancement

The China U20 women's national team was officially formed in October 2024, with the Chinese Football Association appointing renowned English coach Colin Bell as head coach to fully oversee preparations for the 2026 U20 Women's Asian Cup and World Cup tournaments.

The squad primarily consists of players born in 2006 and 2007, supplemented by outstanding talents born in 2008 and 2009, creating a balanced age structure with an average age of about 19. The regular training roster includes around 30 players, gathering top talents from teams across Jiangsu, Beijing, Shanghai, Liaoning, and other regions nationwide.

Besides the head coach, the coaching staff includes assistant coaches, a goalkeeper coach, a fitness coach, and six other specialists; the support team covers medical, technical analysis, and logistics roles, totaling approximately nine members, providing comprehensive and solid support for daily training and various competitions.

The team’s first major event after formation was the U20 Women's Asian Cup qualifying Group E matches held in August 2025 at Helan Mountain Stadium in Yinchuan, Ningxia. Under Colin Bell’s leadership, the team achieved a perfect record with three wins, scoring 21 goals without conceding any: a 6-0 win over Syria, a 7-0 victory against Cambodia securing early qualification, and an 8-0 sweep of Lebanon, advancing as group leaders to the 2026 U20 Women's Asian Cup finals in Thailand.

The team has actively honed tactics and blended the lineup through training camps and friendly matches, organizing multiple sessions in Suzhou, Xiamen, Kunming, and other locations, playing against various domestic and international teams. During this preparation, three young players—Wang Aifang, Liu Chen, and Xie Zongmei—were also promoted to the senior women's national team.

Strengthening Both Tactical Skills and Mental Resilience

On January 7th, the U20 women's national team entered the final preparation phase ahead of the U20 Women's Asian Cup, aiming to achieve strong results and secure a spot in the World Cup.

Shanghai forward Lu Jiayu, who has good height, is a key focal player for the U20 team and is in excellent form, scoring 7 goals in three Asian qualifiers; midfielder Wang Aifang from Liaoning, frequently called up to the national team, possesses outstanding foot skills and broad vision, acting as the midfield engine; defender Huang Jiaxin anchors the defense with leadership qualities and has experience from the 2022 India U17 Women's World Cup; young players Zhou Xinyi, Song Yu, Zhang Kecan, and Cheng Wandi also demonstrate remarkable individual abilities.

The training camp in Zhaoqing runs from January 7th to February 10th, focusing mainly on physical conditioning, tactical polishing, and lineup cohesion, with an emphasis on strengthening player chemistry and key positional skills. During this period, the team aims to consolidate tactical traits and improve technical stability under intense competitive conditions.

The U20 women's coaching staff has studied other Asian U20 women's teams, identifying North Korea and Japan as the top tier in this age group. North Korea is the defending champion and has won the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup; Japan maintains the playing style of their senior team, with mature possession and control. South Korea and Australia form the second tier with strong competitiveness.

China's U20 women's team currently ranks in the upper-middle tier in Asia, capable of competing with the second tier, with players showing strong potential, though there remains a gap compared to the elite teams of North Korea and Japan.

It is understood that the U20 women's team’s goal for the Asian Cup is to qualify for the U20 Women's World Cup as a baseline, striving for better rankings while gaining valuable experience against strong teams and sharpening their practical combat skills during the tournament.

In this U20 Asian Cup, China is grouped with host Thailand, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. The team plans to arrange friendly matches tailored to the opponents’ styles and is currently in talks with the South Korea U20 women’s team, Uzbekistan U20 women’s team, as well as domestic Women's Super League and Women's League One clubs.

Colin Bell, who previously coached the South Korean women's national team for an extended period, is highly familiar with East Asian women's soccer. Since taking charge of China's U20 women's team, he has refined the high-pressing tactical details, improved set-piece attack and defense systems, and enhanced transition efficiency; mentally, he has strengthened players' fighting spirit and stress resilience through pre-match motivation and post-match reviews to clarify goals, unify the team, and guide players to respond calmly in competition.