Debutants Bangladesh put up a spirited display before going down 2-0 to former champions China PR in their second Group A match of the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 at Nonthaburi Stadium on Saturday.
Goalkeeper Mile Akter was the standout performer in the opening half, producing a string of impressive saves to help Bangladesh keep China at bay and head into the break with a clean sheet.
China dominated possession from the outset but struggled to convert their pressure into goals early on. Li Ke headed wide from a corner, while Lu Jiayu chipped over from close range. Xiao Yafei’s long-range effort was blocked by Akter and Wang Aifang’s 25-yard free-kick was tipped onto the upright by the alert custodian.
An unmarked Lu squandered a golden opportunity in the 43rd minute, her powerful header bouncing over the bar, before Akter denied Zheng Lu with a sharp save from inside the box to preserve parity at halftime.
Bangladesh, largely pinned back in their own half, managed just one notable attempt — Mosamamt Sagorika’s stoppage-time effort, comfortably dealt with by China goalkeeper Liu Chen.
China finally broke the deadlock two minutes into the second half when Yu Xingyue latched onto Zeng Yujia’s cutback and swept the ball into the top-right corner past Akter.
The East Asian side continued to press, but Akter remained resolute, saving from Huang Jiaxin and comfortably handling a long-range strike from Wang. However, China sealed the win in style in the 82nd minute as Wang’s curling free-kick from 25 yards pierced the wall and flew into the net despite Akter getting a hand to it.
The 2006 champions claimed their second successive win and moved closer to the knockout stage. Bangladesh, though suffering consecutive defeats, still have a chance to progress but must beat Vietnam in their final group match.
Last month, Bangladesh’s senior women’s team also suffered a 2-0 defeat to China in their debut AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaign, again after a resilient defensive effort.
