In a historic achievement, China advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup for the first time, defeating France 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a goalless draw in their last-16 match in Rabat. The victory was secured largely thanks to the heroics of goalkeeper Niu Ziqi, who made crucial saves during the shootout.
Throughout the match, both teams had several opportunities to score but couldn’t find the back of the net. France dominated the first half but was unable to capitalize on its chances. China, under the tactical guidance of coach Ma Xiaoxu, showed improvement in the second half, but the game remained scoreless, leading to penalties.
During the penalty shootout, China’s Liu Yuxi and Liu Yuke successfully converted their initial attempts, while Niu Ziqi saved France’s effort from Lea Motyka. With the teams tied at 2-2, Yang Lan and Cheng Wandi scored for China, and Niu made another decisive save against Lisa Mabilon, securing a 4-3 win for China.
China’s path to the knockout stage was marked by an impressive performance, having topped Group E with three consecutive wins. They defeated Kenya 3-0, Samoa 7-0, and the United States 3-2 to advance as group leaders.
Next, China will face Brazil in the quarterfinals on November 1. Brazil secured its spot in the last eight after a closely contested penalty shootout victory over Poland, following a 3-3 draw. This upcoming match promises to be another challenging test for the Chinese team as they aim to continue their historic run in the tournament.