Asian Games Draws "Group of Death"? U23 National Team's Goal Remains Unchanged

Report by our staff On the afternoon of July 23, the draw results for the Nagoya Asian Games football event were revealed, with the U23 national team placed in Group B against the UAE, Iran, and North Korea. Besides sidestepping same-level rivals such as Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, this grouping is seen as mediocre, often described as a "group of death." Yet for the U23 squad, being the U23 Asian Cup silver medalists, their aim is unchanged no matter who they face.

The Asian Games differs from World Cup qualifiers, the Asian Cup, and AFC U-series tournaments. The level of importance varies among nations, and some so-called strong or weak teams may defy expectations in actual matches.

For the U23 national team, the biggest variable lies in the fourth-seeded team, North Korea. Compared to other fourth-tier sides, North Korea is more mysterious, and importantly, they place a very high priority on the Asian Games, meaning they are certain to field their strongest lineup.

In this year's U23 Asian Cup, the U23 national team drew with Iraq, beat Australia, and drew with Thailand in the group stage. They then drew with (and won on penalties against) Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals, won 3-0 against Vietnam in the semifinals, and lost 0-4 to Japan in the final. Combined with the 03 national youth team reaching the quarterfinals of the U20 Asian Cup, the overall strength of the U23 national team is above average in Asia, reflecting the recovery of China's youth football system.

The U23 national team's objectives for this Asian Games are twofold: first, to strive for excellent results and continue the strong momentum of the national team; second, to lay a solid foundation for the future Olympic team, given the high number of U21 players. With this in mind, they are not overly concerned about the strength of their group-stage opponents.

The U23 national team is essentially confirmed to use three overage players for the Asian Games, with the core trio being striker Zhang Yuning, midfielder Wu Xi, and center-back Zhu Chenjie. This plan is based on an analysis of the team's strengths and weaknesses.

After strengthening the central spine, the U23 national team has more tactical options, whether employing counter-attacking strategies or controlling the game when necessary. Of course, there is still some time until the Asian Games, and the overage players may be subject to changes.

Among the three opponents, Iran was eliminated in the group stage of the U23 Asian Cup earlier this year. Subsequently, the football federation dismissed the entire coaching staff and appointed former Iran U20 youth coach Abdi in May. Abdi led the Iranian youth team to win the 2024 U20 Central Asia Cup. In the 2025 U20 Asian Cup, they topped their group with three consecutive wins, defeating Uzbekistan. However, they lost 4-5 to eventual champions Japan in the quarterfinals, missing out on the U20 World Cup.

Upon taking office, Abdi stated that he would build the Olympic team based on this Iran U20 squad. The team's main preparation target is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the September Asian Games will be the debut of the newly formed Iran U23 team. Notably, at the end of 2024, the U21 national team defeated this team's predecessor twice in Haikou. However, at that time, only four players from Iran's starting lineup later featured in the U20 Asian Cup. Earlier this year, before the U23 Asian Cup, Iran edged out the U23 national team 1-0 in a friendly.

The newly assembled Iran team features three overseas players: defender Andaz (Leganés, La Liga 2), midfielder Hossein Nejad (Makhachkala Dynamo, Russian Premier League), and forward Ghandipour (Al Wahda, UAE). Additionally, defender Eli and midfielder Razasinia participated in the 2026 World Cup. Due to the situation in the Middle East, most Iranian U23 players are active in domestic leagues and have been without matches since February. The new season, originally scheduled to start on August 16, has been postponed by at least 10 days due to the resumption of conflict. The team is likely to adopt a long-term training camp approach, which will inevitably affect their form.

Kim Yong-jun, who previously played for Chengdu Blades in the Chinese Super League, is now the head coach of North Korea. In March, he led the team to the Xi'an Four Nations Tournament, where they defeated Thailand 3-1, drew 1-1 with Vietnam, and drew 1-1 with China, winning the title unbeaten. Barring any surprises, the North Korean team for the Asian Games will be based on this squad.

This North Korean U23 team is rich in competitive experience. Eight players are current national team members who have played in the 18-team World Cup qualifiers: center-backs Kim Yoo-sung (captain) and Jung Hye-nam, left-back Kim Sung-hye, right-back Choi Yong-il, defensive midfielder Na Myung-sung, attacking midfielder Choi Guk, midfielder Kim Keum-chun, and left winger Lee Il-sung. Among them, Lee Il-sung is the national team's starting left winger; Kim Sung-hye and Na Myung-sung were starters in the last four matches of the 18-team qualifiers last year. Additionally, defenders Jung Eun-hyuk, Lee Sung-woong, and Han Jae-yong, and forward Choi Guk participated in the 2025 U20 Asian Cup.

The UAE is also not weak. In the U23 Asian Cup earlier this year, they advanced from the group stage by defeating Qatar and drawing with Syria, before losing to Vietnam in extra time in the quarterfinals. Ndiaye, who scored two goals, came through the youth academy of Ligue 1 side Montpellier and represented France at the U17 level. He is of Senegalese and Cameroonian descent, was born in Dubai, and was naturalized by the UAE last year for the U23 Asian Cup. At just 21, he already has 15 Ligue 1 appearances. Left-back Aconno and midfielder Sossou are Ghanaian-born naturalized players who joined the UAE national team last year. Sudanese-born goalkeeper Adli trained for four years in the youth system of English Premier League club Southampton before returning to the UAE league last year. Additionally, Brazilian-born naturalized attacker Navo is worth watching.

In June's warm-up tournament in Thailand, the UAE U23 team drew 1-1 with both South Korea and Kyrgyzstan, and thrashed Thailand 5-2, showcasing their strength. With numerous naturalized players, the UAE's U23 side ranks among the top ten in Asia.