Link to VTV Can Tho's live broadcast of the U23 China vs. U23 Japan match.

Link to VTV Can Tho's live broadcast of the U23 China vs. U23 Japan match.

Match time: 10 PM on January 24, 2026

Tournament: AFC U23 Asian Championship Finals

VTV Can Tho:https://vtvgo.vn/channel/vtv-can-tho-1,6.html

Match report: China U23 vs Japan U23

90+2' – THE CHAMPIONSHIP BELONGS TO JAPAN U23!

The final whistle blew, and the Japanese U23 team officially lifted the U23 Asian Championship trophy for the third time in their history.

90' – The match goes into injury time.

The second half had two minutes of added time before the champion of the tournament was determined.

86' – Japan U23 team is not being complacent.

China's U23 team still tried to score a consolation goal but encountered a tight defense from Japan's U23 team, who maintained high concentration despite leading by a large margin.

81' – Behram Abduweli is cautioned.

The Chinese U23 striker, who came on as a substitute, received a yellow card after a rather aggressive foul on Shimamoto.

76' – Goal!!! Japan U23 scores their 4th goal.

Ogura rushed in quickly after the rebound and unleashed a powerful shot, increasing Japan U23's lead against China U23.

68' – Clear offside

Taking advantage of the rebound after Hu Hetao's shot was saved by Araki, Xiang Yuwang finished from close range, sending the ball into the net. However, an offside call disallowed the goal.

66' – Goalkeeper Li Hao plays brilliantly.

Ryunosuke Sato controlled the ball neatly and unleashed a powerful shot into the far corner, but Li Hao stood firm with a quality save. Sato was unable to take sole possession of the top scorer title.

60' – SATO SCORES FROM A PENALTY

The Japanese U23 striker decisively converted the penalty, increasing the score to 3-0 and completely dominating the game in favor of the blue-shirted team.

56' – Handball inside the penalty area

Liu Haofan committed a handball while blocking an opponent's attack. The referee awarded a penalty to Japan U23.

54' – Goalkeeper Li Hao takes control of the situation.

Yuto Ozeki unleashed a shot from outside the penalty area after a neat control, but the ball was too weak. Goalkeeper Li Hao was in the right position to comfortably catch the ball.

48' – Ozeki misses a chance

Receiving the ball inside the penalty area, Ozeki controlled it neatly before unleashing a shot from a favorable position. However, the ball deflected off a Chinese U23 defender's leg and went out of bounds.

46' – The second half officially begins.

The two teams returned to the field after the break, and the second half of the match began.

45+3' – End of the first half

Japan U23 controlled the game well and are currently leading China U23 2-0.

45' – The first half has 2 minutes of added time.

The match had extra time before halftime.

42' – Ozeki's shot lacks power.

Yuto Ozeki had a chance to increase his goal tally, but his low shot posed no difficulty for goalkeeper Li Hao.

33' – Japan's defense is solid.

China's U23 team increased the pressure with a high-pressing formation, but Japan's U23 defense remained disciplined and neutralized their attacks effectively.

27' – Li Hao narrowly avoids defeat

Sato took a long-range shot after a one-two pass with Ozeki, but the ball deflected off a Chinese U23 defender's foot, changing its trajectory and narrowly missing the goal.

21' – The "Blue Samurai" double their lead.

Kosei Ogura stole the ball just outside the penalty area and unleashed a spectacular long-range shot, beating the Chinese U23 goalkeeper and extending the lead to 2-0.

12' – The deadlock is broken.

Following a fluid attack down the wing, Ozeki took a shot inside the penalty area. Peng Xiao attempted a save but inadvertently scored an own goal, giving Japan U23 the lead.

8' – Opportunity slipped away

Furuya closed in on the Chinese U23 goal and unleashed a close-range shot, but unfortunately, he missed the ball.

5' – China U23 goalkeeper shines

Nwadike displayed skillful footwork before unleashing a powerful shot, but Li Hao made an excellent save.

1' – The referee blows the whistle to start the match.

The U23 Asian Championship final has officially begun, with U23 Japan kicking off.

China U23 starting lineup

Hu Hetao, Umidjan Yusup, Liu Haofan, Xu Bin, Xiang Yuwang, Mutellip Iminqari, Wang Yudong, Peng Xiao, Li Hao, Li Zhenquan, Yang Xi

Japan U23 starting lineup

R. Umeki, S. Nagano, R. Ichihara, K. Ogura, Y. Ozeki, B. Nwadik, R. Sato, Y. Yokoyama, K. Koizumi, S. Furuya, R. Araki

Predictions for Japan U23 vs China U23: 2026 AFC U23 Championship Final

The 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship final between China U23 and Japan U23 on the evening of January 24th in Jeddah is considered a highly symbolic clash of East Asian youth football. According to renowned commentator Dong Lu, China U23 has every reason to dream of a historic championship title.

This belief stems from the balanced history of their encounters, where each team has won in recent matches. Dong Lu believes China can exploit the gaps behind Japan's defense with quick counter-attacks, along with the psychological advantage and experience of many players currently playing in the Chinese Super League.

In the unpredictable world of the finals, composure and patience can be the deciding factors.

Predicted score:China U23 1–0 Japan U23.