"Qianchao Cup" Invitational Successfully Concludes: Focusing on High-Quality Competitions to Support National Teams

Reported by Chen Yong On October 26, the final match of the first "Qianchao Cup" International Youth Football Invitational had the CFA Regional Center U14 and Shanghai Shenhua U14 tied after regular play, with the CFA team falling short in penalties.

On the 24th, the fourth day of the "Qianchao Cup," the CFA Regional Center U14 faced off against Auxerre U14 in a top-of-Group B clash; according to the rules, the winners of the two groups advance directly to the final.

Before this match, Auxerre U14 had won all three of their games. At kickoff, due to some physical disadvantages and a lack of competitive awareness, the CFA Regional Center U14 played somewhat defensively. However, after 20 minutes, they began to turn the game around by using ball movement and attacking down both wings. Ultimately, Chen Boxi and Tang Huajian scored one goal each in the two halves, securing a 2-0 victory.

The CFA Regional Center U14 team competing in this event is a near-national youth squad for the 11-year age group, composed of players from the Suzhou Regional Youth Training Center and ten players from the 2011 age group national elite training camp. The head coach is Ryuuji Kato, director of the CFA Suzhou Regional Youth Training Center.

In this "Qianchao Cup," the CFA Regional Center U14 drew 1-1 with Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai, won 8-0 against Russia's Novosibirsk, defeated France's Auxerre 2-0, beat Hangzhou U14 4-0, and tied 2-2 with Shanghai Shenhua U14 in the final before losing 1-4 in the penalty shootout. During penalties, Shenhua's young players showed greater composure, scoring all four of their attempts, while the CFA team missed two of their first three shots.

Since last year, the CFA has launched training camps for the 2011 age group, including a special camp for players born after July 1, 2011. This year, the CFA continued organizing regional and elite training camps for this age group. Through regional camps, a list of 389 players was identified, with 55 selected as elites, laying the groundwork for forming the 2011 national youth team. Previously, the CFA held an elite camp in Xi'an for the 2011 age group; the selected A team (closer to a national youth prototype than the current regional center U14) participated in the Xi'an International Youth Football Invitational under Zhang Chiming’s leadership. Ten players from that squad also took part in this tournament.

The CFA will organize the 2011 age group elite training squad to travel to the UK for training in November. After this overseas camp, the 2011 national youth team will be officially formed, with Zhou Haibin appointed as head coach.

The Hangzhou "Qianchao Cup" International Youth Football Invitational is a U14 youth football event hosted by the Hangzhou Sports Bureau and co-organized by the Yuhang District Government and Zhejiang Professional Football Club. The inaugural tournament took place from October 21 to 26, 2025, at the Zhejiang Professional Football Club training base.

This is a brand-new international football invitational held domestically, similar in nature to previous events such as the "Weifang Cup," "Evergrande Cup," and current tournaments like the "Kashgar Cup," "Great Wall Cup," and "Shanghai Tomorrow Stars." It is an international competition primarily featuring club teams.

Besides comprehensively developing local club teams, such tournaments also support the construction of national teams. Previously, national teams participated in the "Weifang Cup," while this year's Xi'an International Youth Football Invitational and the "Qianchao Cup" focus on building the 2011 age group national teams. Generally, national team competitions like the "Panda Cup" involve official national teams, whereas club tournaments feature national training camps or selection teams.

The first "Qianchao Cup" featured ten participating teams, including six international squads — Lyon U14, Auxerre U14, Urawa Red Diamonds U14 from Japan, Jeonbuk Hyundai U14 from Korea, Novosibirsk U14 from Russia, and Uzbekistan Creators U14 — alongside four domestic teams — Shanghai Shenhua U14, Zhejiang U14, Hangzhou U14, and CFA Regional Center U14.

The event maintained very high standards: matches were held at the Zhejiang club base with a main field seating a thousand spectators; referees were supported by the Zhejiang Football Association; accommodations were provided at Alibaba’s three- to four-star inns; dining was exceptionally well catered by Alibaba’s supply chain, offering each meal a combination of six vegetable dishes, three staple foods, three steamed snacks, five hot dishes, three fried snacks, four fruits, two desserts, two beverages, and one hot soup.

International football invitationals are not only about competition but also about exchanging experiences. During the "Qianchao Cup," two seminars were held: on the morning of the 27th, the second National Football Academy (Football Major) Construction and Development Conference took place at Hangzhou Normal University, themed "Football and Urban Development," attended by nearly 30 university football academies nationwide. In the afternoon, the "Qianchao Cup" International Youth Football Development Exchange was held, where the CFA, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou City, team representatives, and experts discussed innovative youth football training models and development paths. Former national player Yang Xu and representatives from Jeonbuk Hyundai, Uzbekistan Creators, and Auxerre delivered keynote speeches. CFA Chairman Song Kai watched the final and participated in both seminars.

During rest days between matches and on the 27th, participating teams visited West Lake and toured Alibaba’s global headquarters, allowing all players and coaches to experience China's technological advancements firsthand. On the final matchday, the inclusion of robotic dogs and robots excited coaches and children alike from both domestic and international teams.