China's U23 star goalkeeper unlikely to face Vietnam U23 again

Goalkeeper Li Hao from China's U23 squad is probably not going to take part in the 2026 Four Nations Cup, an event that the Vietnamese youth team is expected to join.

Chinese media reports indicate that goalkeeper Li Hao will most likely not join China's U23 team for the friendly tournament the 2026 Four Nations Cup during the March FIFA Days, where Vietnam's U23 is considered one of the potential competitors.

According to Sohu, after finishing as runners-up at the 2026 U23 Asian Championship, China's U23 team has been maintaining a separate training squad aiming for the Nagoya ASIAD and plans to compete in a four-team friendly tournament held in Xi’an. The organizers are reportedly targeting strong invitees such as Uzbekistan U23, Thailand U23, and Vietnam U23 to enhance competitive experience.

However, China’s U23 plans might be affected by the national team’s upcoming training camp. At the end of March, the Chinese national team will travel to Australia for the FIFA Series, facing Curaçao and Cameroon. Sohu reveals that coach Shao Jiayi is considering calling up some young talents, including goalkeeper Li Hao, Xu Bin, and Wumitijiang, all notable players from the U23 Asian Championship finals.

If Li Hao is promoted to the senior national team, he will almost certainly miss the Four Nations Cup. This makes a rematch between Vietnam U23 and China U23 next month unlikely, at least without the presence of the opposing side’s first-choice goalkeeper.

Li Hao played a key role in China U23’s journey to the final. In the 2026 U23 Asian Championship semifinal, he helped secure a 3-0 victory over Vietnam U23 and was recognized as the backbone who kept a clean sheet in five matches. However, in the final, China U23 conceded four goals and saw Japan U23 claim the title.

Also according to Sohu, China’s U23 team will continue building its squad for the ASIAD by retaining the current core players while considering adding young players or a few overage players to boost competitiveness. The minimum goal is to replicate the quarterfinal achievement from Hangzhou ASIAD, with growing ambitions to compete for medals.