Photo: VCG

The young squad making up the Chinese national football team suffered a 3-0 defeat to their South Korean counterparts at the East Asian Football Championship on Monday.

Goals from Lee Dong-gyeong and Joo Min-kyu in the first half helped South Korea maintain the lead. 

Midfielder Ba Dun was close to score the opener for China in the 52nd minute, only to find his close-range shot was a little wide from the bottom left corner. 

Kim Ju-sung added a third goal for South Korea in the 57th minute.

This was also the debut of interim head coach Dejan Djurdjevic, who took over after the national team's elimination from the World Cup Asian qualifiers led to the sacking of coach Branko Ivankovic of Croatia.

Djurdjevic was appointed the caretaker on June 27.

The Serbian previously served as the head coach of the Chinese Under-20 men's football team. Under his guidance, young players such as Wang Yudong, Liu Chengyu, and Kuai Jiwen have gradually emerged and been promoted to the senior national team. 

Chinese striker Zhang Yuning (No.9) competes in the match against South Korea at the East Asian Football Championship in Yongin, South Korea on Monday. Photo: VCG

Monday's match was Kuai's debut for the senior national team after rising to fame during the U20 Asian Cup earlier in 2025.

Among the 26 players on Djurdjevic's squad for the national team, 14 are post-2000 players, accounting for half of the team, significantly reducing the average age and showing a clear trend toward youthfulness on the team. 

Statistically, the Chinese team has suffered five consecutive defeats against South Korea without scoring a single goal, and has never won an away game against South Korea.

The Chinese national team gathered at the beginning of July in preparation for the four-team tournament. They will take on Japan on Saturday before taking on the Hong Kong team on July 15. 

Djurdjevic has previously said that competing against top Asian teams like Japan and South Korea will provide a good competitive environment for Chinese players.

The East Asian Football Championship is being held from Monday to July 16 in Suwon and Yongin, South Korea's Gyeonggi Province.

Chinese forward Zhang Yuning said that with veteran players leaving the national team and young players joining, the team is now undergoing a transitional phase. He noted that he hopes to treat the tournament as an opportunity to strengthen their cohesion.