China handed tough route to U-17 World Cup as draw unveils challenge

China's Hu Weiwei dribbles past the goalkeeper during their AFC U-16 Championship clash with Hong Kong of China, in Wuhan, Hebei Province, China, September 26, 2009. /VCG

China must rise to the challenge of being group minnows after a tough draw for AFC U-16 Championship left them ill-placed to earn a direct berth in the FIFA U-17 World Cup next year.

Team Dragon were thrown into a potentially nightmare scenario when the groups were decided at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. They will face defending champions Japan, traditional powerhouse Saudi Arabia and emerging force Indonesia as they attempt to reach a tournament that will pave way for a number of youngsters to break into the international stage.

Despite missing out on the previous edition of the U-16 Championship, China displayed their brilliant best in last year's qualifying stage, winning three games and drawing one without conceding a goal.

The draw results of the AFC U-16 Championship. /AFC official website

However, China's head coach Antonio Vicente is refusing to get carried away with their fine form in qualification, and preached caution.

"Each and every group game will be quite tough for us because our opponents are very strong," observed Vicente. "They boast different tactics and styles of play, which will pose a serious challenge to our attacking options."

"But we will do our utmost to bring out the best in ourselves. We will be working to make preparations in exhaustive detail and hope for the best," he added.

The sentiment was echoed by team manager and former China midfielder Shao Jiayi. "Our aim is clear. We will strive to emerge from the group and advance into next year's U-17 World Cup," he said. "We will work as a whole and support each other on the pitch. There is still room for improvement, and we have no time to waste."

China's team manager Shao Jiayi expresses confidence in China's chance of advancing into the FIFA U-17 World Cup. /VCG

In other groups, two-time champions South Korea have been drawn with Australia, India and Uzbekistan, while hosts Bahrain will come up against Iran, Qatar and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The most balanced section, meanwhile, sees United Arab Emirates entertain Oman, Yemen and Tajikistan.

The U-16 Championship was originally scheduled for September 16, but were postponed to November 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The top four teams of the tournament will qualify to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2021.