Photo: Cui Meng/GT

The Chinese national under-20 team fell short of qualifying for the FIFA U-20 World Cup after conceding a 95th-minute goal to Saudi Arabia that resulted in a 1-0 quarterfinals defeat in the U-20 Asian Cup on Saturday.

The defeat in this match deprives the young Chinese team of the opportunity to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the first time in 20 years.

However despite being defeated, the Chinese under-20 team earned praise in the previous for their strong performances, which included victories over Qatar 2-1 and Kyrgyzstan 5-2.

The top four teams in the U-20 Asian Cup qualify the FIFA U20 World Cup, which will take place in Chile later this year.

The U-20 Asian Cup, held in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, will run until March 1.

Photo: Cui Meng/GT

 

Photo: Cui Meng/GT

 

Photo: Cui Meng/GT

 

Photo: Cui Meng/GT