Reported by Wang Wei On May 1st, the U17 Women's Asian Cup will commence in Suzhou. At 7:30 PM that evening, the Chinese team in Group A will face Myanmar. This tournament represents the pinnacle of youth women's football in Asia, and it is also a full-force effort by the young roses to secure a ticket to the Morocco U17 Women's World Cup. The top four teams from this competition will qualify for the Morocco U17 Women's World Cup. Led by former Asian Women's Footballer of the Year Ma Xiaoxu, this Chinese team will strive on home soil to open the door to the world stage.

Team Framework: Top Four from the 15th National Games

This U17 Women's Asian Cup will be held in Suzhou from May 1st to 17th. The 12 participating teams are divided into three groups, and the top four teams will directly qualify for the Morocco U17 Women's World Cup. China's U17 women's team is in Group A alongside Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. They will first play Myanmar on May 1st, then Vietnam on May 4th, and finally Thailand on May 7th. All three group stage opponents are Southeast Asian teams. While their overall strength is slightly inferior, they all possess the technical characteristics of being small, fast, and agile.

The Chinese U17 women's football team was formed late last year. In early January this year, Ma Xiaoxu, who previously won the Asian Women's Footballer of the Year award, officially took over as head coach of this team. Over the past four months, Ma Xiaoxu has led the team in training camps in Shenzhen, Kunming Haigeng, Qingdao, and Tai'an, Shandong, establishing the preliminary team framework through technical and tactical training and friendly matches.

The players of this team were largely selected from the women's U16 competition of last year's 15th National Games. Most members come from the top four teams of that event (Shanghai, Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Sichuan teams). Additionally, Niu Ziqi from Shandong women's team and Ju Zitong from Chongqing women's team have also entered the fourth-phase training camp roster.

As of the time of this report's publication, the final roster for the Chinese U17 women's team participating in the Asian Cup has not been announced. With the recent return of Cheng Wandie, who represented China's U20 women's team in the U20 Women's Asian Cup across age groups, the team currently has 27 players.

It is noteworthy that in the team's fourth-phase roster in April, nine players also fully participated in preparations for the 2025 U17 women's national team coached by Wang Hongliang. They are Li Xinzi, Cai Xinlin, Yang Yuxuan, Xu Yue, Xu Xiaotang, Ouyang Rongxin, Bai Shuiling, Li Qixian, and Huang Qinyi. Experiencing the U17 Women's World Cup atmosphere a year ahead of their age group has provided significant training for them. "These players who participated in the U17 Women's World Cup last year have accumulated tournament experience that will benefit the team," said Ma Xiaoxu, head coach of the Chinese U17 women's national team.

Earlier this year, Ma Xiaoxu officially became the head coach of the Chinese U17 women's team. The coaching staff includes Wu Qiong, Sun Shoubo, Wang Hanbing, and Fei Yu, who have experience coaching in the National Games and participating in men's professional leagues. Former national team player Lou Jiahui has also joined the coaching team. From a tactical perspective, after taking charge, Ma Xiaoxu has demanded players strengthen their defense while focusing on proactive attacking and high-pressure pressing. She emphasizes ground passing and control with small-area coordination, aiming to play fluent and efficient attacking football.

Top Four as Baseline, Aiming for the Championship

The U17 Women's Asian Cup has always been a stage for discovering future stars in women's football. This edition features many potential stars from China, North Korea, Japan, Australia, and South Korea, and these five teams will be the strongest contenders for the four tickets to the Morocco U17 Women's World Cup.

Last year, the Chinese U16 women's team, composed of Guangdong's National Games U16 women's team, faced Japan in the Montaigu Cup in France, ultimately losing 0-1. However, the current roster of the Chinese U17 women's team differs significantly from that Chinese U16 team formed by Guangdong's National Games U16 squad.

On April 25th, the Chinese U17 women's team played a friendly match against the Philippines, who are in Group C of this tournament, winning 6-0. As the major tournament approaches, the women's football players are adjusting their condition to a pre-match state.

According to the tournament format, after the 12 teams advance to the quarter-finals, the top four will secure World Cup tickets. If China finishes as Group A winner, their quarter-final opponent would be the third-place team from Group B or C, significantly increasing their chances of advancement. If they reach the semi-finals, they are likely to face defending champion North Korea from Group C. If they advance to the final, potential opponents would be Japan from Group B.

For the Chinese team, the minimum goal has been set as reaching the top four to obtain a World Cup ticket. Simultaneously, as the host nation, the team will aim to challenge for the Asian Cup championship. Ma Xiaoxu stated that the team has completed preliminary physical conditioning and tactical磨合, and the overall condition is trending positively. "Suzhou is both a fortunate place for Chinese women's football and the主场 for this tournament. We have the advantage of playing at home, and we hope the girls will prove themselves with their ability."