Changzhou: With the latest edition of the AFC U23 Championship set to begin on Tuesday, football fans across Asia are once again looking forward to seeing the region’s finest young talent lock horns en route to continental glory.

In total, 16 teams will be vying to claim the title won by Japan two years ago in Qatar, and with the likes of Iraqi ace Hussain Ali and host nation livewire Wei Shihao set to grace the competition, expectation is high that the tournament will further enhance its already burgeoning reputation.

This month’s action in Jiangsu province – which will conclude with the competition’s final on January 27 – gets underway at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Center when head coach Massimiliano Maddaloni’s talented China PR side tackle Oman and Qatar play Uzbekistan in the day’s later game.

Reigning champions Japan are scheduled to begin their title defence against competition debutants Palestine on Wednesday......

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