China to face defending champions Japan, Saudi Arabia in AFC U-16 Championship

File Photo: Players of China U16 men's football team train for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U16 Championship in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, May 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

China's U-16 men's football team will face three-time winners and defending champions Japan in the group stage at the upcoming AFC U-16 Championship Bahrain 2020, following the official draw held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) here on Thursday.

Joining China and Japan in Group D are Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. It will be a tough test for China, whose U-16 team returned to the tournament after being absent from the previous edition.

Tajikistan, the 2018 runner-up, were drawn in Group B alongside Oman, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates.

Two-time champions South Korea, which finished third in 2018, were drawn in Group C with Australia, India and Uzbekistan.

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), winners in 2010 and 2014, will be up against hosts Bahrain, Iran and Qatar in Group A.

The AFC U-16 Championship 2020 will be played from November 24 to December 12 in Bahrain.

Sixteen teams will be vying for the title while the top four teams will qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Peru 2021.