BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China head coach Kenichi Uemura said his team is both physically and tactically prepared for the upcoming U17 Asian Cup qualifiers.
The Chinese side is to take on Bahrain, Bhutan, Maldives and South Korea in Group C from October 19 to 27 in Dalian, China.
"I have decided on the backbone of my team," said Uemura.
The Japanese coach said he is still choosing the players who can rise to challenge in case his team is hit by injuries during their qualifying campaign.
"If some of my players are injured, which hopefully will not be serious, we must make sure the team's competence will not be affected," he said.
The Chinese players' physical durability and tactical awareness also markedly improved thanks to seven training camp they had held since mid-February when the team first convened, Uemura added.
A total of 43 teams were divided into ten groups to play the U17 Asian Cup qualifiers, and the group winners along with the best five second-placed teams will join hosts Saudi Arabia for the finals, which are scheduled from April 3 to 20, 2025. ■
