China’s U17 women’s football team booked their ticket to the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after a commanding 3-0 victory over India in the quarterfinals of the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup on Monday evening at the Suzhou Sports Center Stadium.
The win not only advanced China to the semifinals of the continental tournament but also secured a berth at the global finals scheduled later this year. China had topped Group A with three straight wins, while India reached the knockout stage as the third-place finisher in Group B with one victory and two defeats.
Huang Qinyi broke the deadlock in the 38th minute, tapping home from close range after a pinpoint cross from Liu Yuxi. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Liu won a penalty after being fouled inside the box and calmly converted to double the lead. Li Qixian sealed the dominant display with a third goal in the 90th minute, finishing off a clever pass in the area.
In the other quarterfinal played earlier, North Korea thrashed Thailand 6-0. China will now face North Korea in the semifinals on May 14, while Japan takes on Australia for the other final spot.