Antonio Puche speaks at the press conference on January 23,2026. Photo: Beijing Youth Daily

Head coach of the Chinese national U23 football team Antonio Puche told reporters at a pre-match press conference on Friday that the team will try to "make extraordinary things happen" in the U23 Asian Cup final against Japan on Saturday.

The Chinese team made history by reaching the U23 Asian Cup final for the first time after defeating Vietnam 3-0 in the semifinal on Tuesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The win also marked the first time since 2004 that a Chinese men's national football team at any level has advanced to the final of an Asian tournament. 

Looking forward to the final against Japan, Antonio said it will be a historic game for the team and they entered the match with big dreams.

Acknowledging the big gap between China and Japan, Antonio said all the players will fight till the end and "sometimes, extraordinary things happen in football. Tomorrow, we will try to make extraordinary things happen."

Defender Hu Hetao told reporters that "as players, we feel honored to have the opportunity to step onto this stage. We are fully prepared. A final is never easy, and we are ready to face the challenges ahead. We have rested well in advance."

Facing Japan will certainly be difficult, but we will not give up—we hope to create a new chapter in history, said Hu. 
 
Entering the tournament as a bottom level-seeded team, the Chinese team has emerged as the biggest dark horse of the tournament and kept a clean sheet in all its games en route to the final.