Winning farewell for China at U23 Asian Cup
China beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in their final group match at the U23 Asian Cup on Monday, exiting the tournament with one win and two losses.
Having already lost the chance of progressing from the group after losing to Japan and South Korea, China head coach Cheng Yaodong only made one change to his starting lineup from the last match, with Li Hao replacing Huang Zihao in goal.
Xie Wenneng scored China's first goal of the tournament in the 24th minute when he collected a loose ball inside the box after a corner and volleyed home.
China's second goal came courtesy of a mistake from the UAE defenders, as Liu Zhurun stole the ball and sent it into an empty net just before halftime.
The UAE pulled one back through Ahmed Fawzi three minutes into the second half, but they couldn't find an equalizer as Li made multiple saves.
In Group B's other match, South Korea edged Japan 1-0 to top the group, while Japan also qualified for the knockout stage after finishing second.
The remaining eight qualified teams will compete for three direct tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, while the fourth-placed team will face Guinea in a play-off for the last Olympic spot.