YINCHUAN, China, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Lu Jiayu netted a hat-trick as China overpowered Lebanon 8-0 in the final Group E match of the 2026 AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup qualifiers on Sunday.

The tournament features eight groups, with all group winners and the three best runners-up advancing to the tournament finals in Thailand. China had already sealed first place in Group E before kickoff, following earlier 6-0 and 7-0 wins against Syria and Cambodia respectively.

China started strongly as Zheng Lu scored with a low shot in the 8th minute. Liu Ling and Zhang Yiqian extended the lead before Lu Jiayu struck twice, and Xiao Yafei added a sixth to establish a 6-0 halftime advantage.

Lu completed her hat-trick in the 69th minute, and Wang Aifang tapped home from close range in the 75th minute to cap the rout. China finished the qualifiers with 21 goals scored and none conceded.

China head coach Colin Bell expressed pride in his team's performances and emphasized that the squad still has greater potential to unlock ahead of next year's finals. Enditem