‘Fantastic future ahead’: Coach after China wins first Asian Games football medal in 28 years

Antonio Puche said the latest achievement showed the potential within the emerging group.  | Photo Credit: REUTERS

China’s men’s Under-23 football coach Antonio Puche believes the country has “a fantastic future” after the team secured its first Asian Games medal in almost 30 years on Saturday.

China has long been considered one of Asian football’s major underachievers, having reached the FIFA World Cup only once, in 2002. The senior side suffered a 0-5 home defeat to Palestine on Friday, but the recent results at the youth level side have offered encouragement.

After finishing runner-up at the U-23 Asian Cup in February, China’s side went onto claim bronze at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan’s Aichi-Nagoya with a 4-2 penalty shootout-win over Uzbekistan following a 2-2 draw.

Puche said the latest achievement showed the potential within the emerging group. “These players for me have a fantastic future, we need to work, we need to push them because we have players with big quality and big heart, and this is very important in football,” said the Spaniard.

“We need to work, we need to push them because we have players with big quality and big heart, and this is very important in football.” he also added.

The Asian Games men’s football competition is contested by U-23 teams, with each squad allowed up to three overage players. Puche’s Aichi-Nagoya side included several players who are also regular members of the senior national team.

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China’s senior side has faced struggles without them, losing 0-3 at home to New Zealand in a friendly last week before the heavy defeat to Palestine.

Puche nevertheless expressed confidence in senior coach Shao Jiayi’s ability to respond.

“The result of that last match wasn’t very good, that’s for sure,” he said. “But the head coach is very capable and resilient and he will use this loss to make the team better.”

China has never won the Asian Games men’s football title. Its previous bronze medal came during the 1998 Bangkok Games.

Published on Oct 03, 2026

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