China lose to Saudi Arabia in U20 AFC Asian Cup quarterfinals at home

Substitute Amar Alyuhabi scored a last-minute goal as hosts China fell 1-0 to Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U20 Asian Cup in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Saturday, missing out on qualification for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile.

In the 95th minute, Alyuhabi fired a right-footed shot from a tight angle, beating the goalkeeper into the bottom right corner after connecting with a cross from Talal Haji.

China dominated possession but the young squad struggled to convert chances, including a missed penalty in the second half.

Head coach Dejan Djurdjevic fielded China's strongest lineup, while Saudi Arabia made a surprising decision to bench several key starters, including Rakan Alghamdi, Haji, and Ziyad Alghamdi.

In the 30th minute, Wang Yudong came close to breaking the deadlock, but his right-footed shot only just went wide.

Wang later won a penalty for China in the 59th minute, but Liu Chengyu's effort from the spot was denied by the Saudi goalkeeper.

As the game entered the final 30 minutes, Saudi Arabia brought on several substitutes, including Alyuhabi and Haji, who combined for the last-minute winning goal.

In the other quarterfinal, Australia defeated Iraq 3-2 to reach the semifinals. According to U20 Asian Cup regulations, the top-four teams of the tournament qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup, which will take place in Chile from September to October. Threfore, both Saudi Arabia and Australia have booked their places at the tournament.