China conceded three headers and lost to Japan 3-1 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

In the first leg clash between the two teams in September, the Japanese team thrashed China 7-0.

The Chinese side started the match with high-quality defending, until the 39th minute, when Koki Ogawa headed home in a corner cross.

Zhang Yuning (C) of China vies with Endo Wataru (L) and Machida Koki of Japan during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier match between China and Japan in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, Nov. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

In the stoppage time of the first half, Japan doubled its lead in another corner kick as Ko Itakura's header from the far post went into the net following a headed pass.

China pulled one goal back in the third minute of the second half, when Lin Liangming shot from the center of the box netted home thanks to a direct pass from Wei Shihao.

However, the Japanese team silenced the home crowd just six minutes later as Junya Ito penetrated in the right flank and crossed to Ogawa to score his second header of the match.

In 70th minute, Wei Shihao was close to score for China, but his shot was parried away by Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.

Despite the loss, the Chinese team head coach Branko Ivankovic said he was really satisfied with the fighting spirits his players showcased on the pitch.

"I feel happy about my players. Against a strong Japanese team, they all fought hard on the pitch and were brave to press high in the front."

"We did some set piece defending practices before. One second of distraction changed the result. We will improve our set piece defense in the future and help our players more focused on the pitch," Ivankovic noted.

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu spoke highly of the potentials of the Chinese team.

Lin Liangming (front R) of China shoots to score during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier match between China and Japan in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, Nov. 19, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Can)

"It's a totally different team compared to our first leg match. The Chinese coach is doing a very good job to help his players to perform," he said.

"It was a tough game from the very beginning. We were pushed back for a long time in the game, but we managed to score two goals from set pieces. The first goal from the corner was the changing moment of the match," the Japan team's head coach added.

Elsewhere, on Tuesday, Indonesia defeated Saudi Arabia 2-0 at home to get its first win in the group.

Japan now has 16 points to lead the group with five wins and one draw, while Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and China have six points each in the group.

"Considering our performance today, I think we can be optimistic about our next matches," added Ivankovic, whose team will play Saudi Arabia and Australia in March, 2025.

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