NAGOYA, Oct 3 — Chinese football has a “fantastic future” after the country’s men’s under-23 side won its first Asian Games medal in nearly three decades on Saturday, coach Antonio Puche said.
China, long regarded as underachievers in international football, have qualified for the World Cup only once, in 2002, while the senior side suffered a 5-0 home defeat to Palestine on Friday.
But China have enjoyed relative success at youth level, following their runner-up finish at the Under-23 Asian Cup in February with a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Japan.
China beat Uzbekistan on penalties after a 2-2 draw, with Puche backing the new generation to go on to bigger and better things.
“These players for me have a fantastic future,” said the Spaniard.
