(From right) Chinese national under-23 team head coach Antonio Puche, defender Hu Hetao, Japanese player Rei Umeki and head coach Go Oiwa attend the pre-match news conference on January 23, 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Photo: VCG

Expectations were riding high on Friday as the Chinese national under-23 football team prepared to take on arch-rivals Japan in the final of the U23 Asian Cup on Saturday.

The Global Times noted on Friday night at the ticket booking site for the final that an additional three blocks of seats had been reassigned to Chinese fans from the Japanese fans’ area at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The U23 final marks the first time a Chinese team has faced Japan in a continental final in 22 years, following the senior Chinese national team’s 3-1 home defeat to Japan in the final of the 2004 Asian Cup in Beijing.

The Chinese team, which was seeded at the bottom level in the 16-team competition, has made it to the final without conceding a single goal, outside penalties. 

A report in the Japan section of Soccer Yahoo highlighted this quality. “China boast an ironclad defense, having conceded no goals in five matches so far,” it said. Having advanced beyond the group stage for the first time, China will head into the final highly motivated, with the title firmly in their sights, it continued.

It also noted that the final will be played at a stadium where China have already featured twice during the tournament, while it will be Japan’s first appearance at the venue.

Website qoly.jp singled out Chinese goalkeeper Li Hao as a potential game changer.

It recognizes the backbone of the Chinese team is goalkeeper Li Hao. Although just 21 years old and still eligible as a youth player, he has already made 28 saves across five matches, the report said. He is an indispensable part of what has been dubbed the “strongest shield” in the competition, the report noted.

It went on to say that the Japanese team has also had a strong defense throughout the tournament, conceding only one goal and scoring 12 so far.

Japanese football-focused website soccerdigestweb.com predicted that Japan will be victorious: “The players of Japan’s U-23 national team are expected to prove on the pitch that Japan stand as the strongest side in Asia.”

All of the players in Japan’s under-23 football team are under 21. The team, under coach Go Oiwa, is using the U23 Asian Cup as a chance to develop young players ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. 

The Chinese squad also features several players under 21, including 19-year-old Wang Yudong, who has already made appearances for the senior national team.