On November 26, during the third round of Group A matches in the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers held in Chongqing’s Tongliang District, the Chinese team defeated Brunei 12:0. Zhao Songyuan scored six goals, while substitute Zhang Bolin contributed a hat-trick.
Chinese player Zhao Songyuan heads the ball to score during the match on November 26.
Compared to the previous round, the Chinese team made nine changes to their starting lineup. The players quickly found their rhythm. In the 11th minute, Wan Xiang delivered a corner kick from the left, and Zhao Songyuan used his height advantage to head the ball easily into the net from close range. In the 18th minute, the opposing goalkeeper parried a dangerous cross-shot from the left, but the ball fell to Kuang Zhaolei, who slotted it home. In the 39th minute, a left-side corner kick found Li Mingjie at the far post, and he headed it in. During the eight minutes of first-half stoppage time, China scored three more goals. In the 4th minute of added time, Wan Xiang met a cross from the wing and scored from close range. In the 7th minute, Zhao Songyuan fired a long-range shot from outside the box into the net. Less than a minute later, he completed his hat-trick with a sliding tackle-shot from close range. The first half ended with China leading 6:0.
Chinese player Kuang Zhaolei and Brunei player Adi Idam compete for the ball during the match on November 26.
In the second half, Zhang Bolin came on as a substitute and scored in the 50th minute after receiving a through pass behind the defender and slotting it home. Zhao Songyuan, who played as a center forward in the first half, switched to a shadow striker role after the break. He added two more goals with a header in the 53rd minute and a follow-up shot in the 57th minute. In the 62nd minute, He Sifan delivered a cross, and Zhang Bolin scored from close range. In the 73rd minute, Zhang Bolin completed his hat-trick with a low shot from near the penalty spot. In the 77th minute, Zhao Songyuan received a precise pass from Zhang Junhao and headed it easily into the net, scoring his sixth goal of the match.
In the post-match press conference, the Chinese team’s head coach stated that although there were some minor disruptions during the game, such as multiple injury stoppages in the first half that affected the rhythm, it did not impact the overall outcome. He said, “I’ve always emphasized to the players not to be distracted by external factors and to stay focused on the game itself.”
After this round, the Chinese team remains top of the group with 9 points and a goal difference of +30.
