The Chinese national youth team finished runners-up in the AFC U17 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia after losing 3-2 to Japan in the final, despite a spirited second-half comeback.

The match in the early hours of Saturday marked China’s return to the U17 Asian Cup final for the first time in 22 years, and the run to the showpiece match secured qualification for the 2026 Fifa U-17 World Cup.

Japan’s Tafuku Satomi opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a shot into the far corner, before Sho Saito doubled the lead.

In first-half stoppage time, Shin Kitamoto added a third for Japan with a long-range strike.

China rallied after the break with goals from Wan Xiang and Zhao Songyuan.

In the 48th minute, Shuai Weihao delivered a cross from the right wing, allowing Wan to chip the ball into the net to pull one back.