As we step into 2025, the various national teams of Chinese men's football are fully prepared to launch a comprehensive offensive on the field, with a series of major competitions coming one after another. The national team is about to engage in the fierce 18-strong competition, while the Olympic team will strive in the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, the youth team aims for outstanding achievements in the U20 Asian Cup finals, and the junior team is also striving to showcase their style in the U17 Asian Cup finals.
In addition, the subsequent reserve teams are actively preparing to take over, including the U18 national youth (07 age group) and U16 national junior (09 age group).
It is worth noting that the U18 national youth team will become the eligible team to participate in the 2027 U20 Asian Cup, however, the qualifiers are scheduled for September 2026, which makes it difficult for the current age group of the national youth team to officially form.
Given this, at present, training camps or selection camps can only be organized under the names of "training camp" or "selection camp." At the same time, the head coach has not been determined yet, and the 44-year-old Zheng Zhi has become the hottest candidate for the head coach.
Half a month ago, the Football Association successfully held the second phase of the 2007 age group elite player training camp this year at the beautiful Hainan Mission Hills Training Base in Haikou.
In this training camp, most of the players are expected to become the backbone of the U18 national youth team, hence, the Football Association attached great importance to it. They carefully selected a total of 67 players to participate in this crucial training and entrusted the responsibility to Zheng Zhi, the assistant coach of the national team.
It should be noted that Zheng Zhi achieved remarkable success during his playing career, having been elected as the Asian Footballer of the Year and played for top-flight league teams, accumulating rich match experience and exquisite skills.
After retiring, he served as an assistant to two national team coaches, fully utilizing his excellent communication and coordination abilities to successfully build a smooth communication bridge between foreign coaches and players. Along the way, he has taken one step at a time, continuously accumulating experience, laying a solid foundation for future coaching.
It is reported that Zheng Zhi's outstanding performance in charge of the training of the 2007 age group elite players has been fully recognized by the Football Association. There are insiders who have revealed that the Football Association intends to let Zheng Zhi leave the national team to become the new head coach of the U18 national youth team.
As for the final decision, it will be settled as soon as possible after the U20 Asian Cup next month. Chinese football has been constantly exploring and striving in the cultivation of young players and coaches, and it is hoped that this decision will bring a new turning point to the future of Chinese football.