The U20 Asian Cup will kick off in Shenzhen from February 13 to March 1, 2025. The top four teams of this Asian Cup will secure spots for the U20 World Cup. To prepare for this U20 Asian Cup, the team will start training on January 6 and will play seven warm-up matches in Shenzhen and Thailand against teams such as Uzbekistan, Syria, and Thailand who are also participating in the U20 tournament.
There are 28 players on the training roster, but due to restrictions on the final number of participants, some players will be eliminated.
According to Ma Dexing's report in "Ti Tan Zhou Bao":
The 28 players in this training (including those playing overseas) are all outstanding performers recently. The competition is fierce to participate in the U20 Asian Cup finals. The next seven warm-up matches will be the ultimate test for the whole team and players at each position. Only by showing better competitive form than other players at the same position can they join the team for the U20 Asian Cup and even the U20 World Cup.
Three overseas players are as follows:
Mallorca, Spain: Du Yuezheng
Ospitalet, Spain: Yang Xi
Rochefort Union, Belgium: Chen Shihan
Goalkeepers:
Liu Qiwei, Yao Haoyang, Yuan Jianrui
Defenders:
He Yiran, Yang Xi, Shi Songchen, Fan Shuangjie, Qi Qiancheng, Peng Xiao, Yu Tianle, Xu Junchi, Aizimaiti Kaisaer
Midfielders:
Bai Yutao, Wang Yudong, Wang Yifan, Xiong Jizheng, Kuai Jiwen, Chen Shihan, Mao Weijie, Tang Tianyi, Wang Haobin, Yimulan Maimaiti, Zhang Zhibear, Chen Zeshi, Huang Ming
Forwards:
Zhu Pengyu, Liu Chengyu, Du Yuezheng
Coaches:
Durdevic
The main framework of the defenders has been relatively clear, with double central defenders Shi Songchen and Peng Xiao, defensive midfielder Yimulan, and central midfielder Chen Zeshi.
The biggest variables are on the offensive line, especially the wingbacks and attacking line: For example, there are three players at the center forward position, Liu Chengyu, Zhu Pengyu, and Du Yuezheng, how to choose? All three players have performed exceptionally well in the past. Liu Chengyu scored twice against South Korea and also had a good performance in the AFC Champions League. Du Yuezheng recently scored in Europe. In fact, Wang Yudong can also play as a center forward. He came off the bench recently in the AFC Champions League and helped the team win with one pass and one shot within 10 minutes.
Midfielders and wingers are also full of talent, like Mao Weijie, Wang Yifan, Bai Yutao, Tang Tianyi, and Wang Haobin, who have all performed well in previous games.
Netizens jokingly say: U20 national football team is no longer "picking a tall person from among short ones," but "picking a taller person from among tall ones."
Some netizens also jokingly say: Coach Durdevic is also troubled, but it's a happy trouble.
The grouping of the 16 participating teams in the 2025 Asian Cup is as follows:
Group A: China, Australia, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar
Group B: Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, North Korea
Group C: Uzbekistan, Iran, Indonesia, Yemen
Group D: Japan, South Korea, Syria, Thailand