China soccer team wraps 2025 EAFF championship

China men's national soccer team wrapped up its 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship campaign with a 1-0 victory over Hong Kong, China, on Tuesday afternoon, thanks to a first-half goal from Huang Zhengyu. The result gave the Chinese mainland side its only win of the tournament, finishing with one win and two losses to place third with three points.

The 94th-ranked Chinese side had lost its first two matches—0-3 to South Korea and 0-2 to Japan, piling pressure ahead of the final game against a comparatively weaker opponent. To respond, interim head coach Dejan Djurdjevic fielded a more aggressive 4-2-3-1 formation.

"We've focused more on making changes within ourselves," Djurdjevic said before the match. "Hong Kong is not at the same level as Japan or South Korea, but that doesn't mean anything—if you want to win every game, you have to give 100 percent. My players are very focused and ready for this match".

His squad dominated both possession and statistics throughout the game but struggled to convert its advantage. In the first half, it fired 10 shots, with Huang Zhengyu's 20th-minute strike proving decisive. It was also China's first goal of the tournament.

The win ended a difficult spell for the mainland team against Team Hong Kong. According to the Chinese Football Association, the two teams have now met 27 times, with Team China recording 18 wins, seven draws and two losses.

Their previous meeting, a friendly on New Year's Day last year, saw China stunned 1-2 for their first loss to Hong Kong in 38 years. The other defeat was a 1-2 loss in a World Cup qualifier at Beijing's Workers' Stadium on May 19, 1985.

"It's always difficult to build a new team," Djurdjevic said. "But I believe we are making progress and growing. Especially some of the younger players—I think they will become the future stars of Chinese football".

As the East Asian Cup ends, Team China's focus now turns to resolving a key issue: the appointment of a permanent head coach. Only once the Chinese Football Association finalizes the coaching team can the national side's rebuilding process truly begin.