Photo: Courtesy of Asian Football Confederation

China's under-17 men's football team came from behind to defeat hosts Saudi Arabia 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the AFC U17 Asian Cup on Friday, booking a place in the last four and continuing its remarkable resurgence on the continental stage.

The victory marked China's first knockout-stage win in the tournament since 2004 and extended the team's impressive run in a year that has already seen it qualify for the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup for the first time in 21 years. 

The Chinese U17 team secured its U17 World Cup berth earlier this week by reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament in Saudi Arabia. 

China had entered the tournament with high expectations after dominating the qualification campaign last year, winning all five matches while scoring over 50 goals and conceding none.

Facing the host nation in Jeddah, China made one change to the starting lineup from its decisive group-stage win over Qatar, with rising star Kuang Zhaolei handed his first start of the tournament.

Saudi Arabia struck first in the 21st minute when Faisal Bayomi finished from close range to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. China responded quickly and with confidence.

In the 27th minute, Kuang delivered a low cross from the right flank, and Wan Xiang showed composure beyond his age. After cutting past a defender inside the penalty area, Wan fired a precise low shot into the net to level the score at 1-1.

The equalizer shifted the momentum in China's favor, and the team continued to press after the break.

China took the lead in the 60th minute through Zhao Songyuan. Wan once again played a crucial role, driving to the byline before sending in a dangerous cross. He Sifan rose to head the ball across goal, where Zhao arrived at the far post to convert and put China ahead 2-1.

As Saudi Arabia pushed forward in search of an equalizer, China delivered the decisive blow deep into stoppage time.

In the third minute of added time, He produced the moment of the match with a brilliant solo effort, knocking the ball past a Saudi defender before bursting into the penalty area to unleash a thunderous shot that crashed off the underside of the crossbar before bouncing over the line, a spectacular finish that sealed China's 3-1 victory and sparked jubilant celebrations among the players and coaching staff.

China will now face either Vietnam or Australia in the semifinals after the two sides square off in their quarterfinal on Saturday.

China last appeared in the knockout rounds of the Asian youth championship in 2006, when it lost to North Korea after extra time. Its previous quarterfinal victory came in 2004, when Zhu Yifan scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Oman.

The victory, which came in the early hours of Saturday Beijing time, sparked an outpouring of excitement among Chinese fans on social media, where many praised the team's resilience and attacking flair. 

He's stunning solo goal in stoppage time was widely described as one of the best goals scored by a Chinese youth national team in recent years, with supporters saying the squad had restored their belief in the future of Chinese football. 

The last time a Chinese men's national football team at any age level won a continental title was at the 2004 AFC U-17 Championship, when China defeated the North Korea 1-0 in the final to lift the trophy in Japan.