On the night of March 6, the U20 Chinese national team reversed a seemingly desperate situation with a 2-0 victory over defending champions Saudi Arabia in a crucial Asian Cup showdown. Young Chengdu Rongcheng player Mutalifu was the center of attention in the crucial victory, as he came on as a second-half substitute for Hu Huotao and was a key player in helping his team win the three points with a shot and a pass in just seven minutes.
For Mutalifu, who is approaching his 19th birthday, this victory and his performance on the pitch is undoubtedly a major milestone in his career. Little known fact is that he almost missed Croatia's U20 national soccer team's overseas training and the Asian Cup due to lack of passport. Mutalifu's amazing performance has attracted widespread attention, and Red Star News interviewed his coach Tan Bo, the U19 head coach at the Chengdu Football Association's Derry Football Training Center, who was full of praise for Mutalifu's performance and encouraged him to remain humble.
Mutalifu, the hero who beat Saudi Arabia, had almost missed out on the Asian Cup.
Mutalifu rose to prominence in the 2022 season of the Chinese Super League. He made the leap from the Chengdu Football Association's U17 ladder all the way to Chengdu Rongcheng's first-team squad, and at the age of 18 years and 112 days, he scored his first CSL goal to help Rongcheng earn the team's first-ever CSL win.
Last season, Mutalifu scored five goals in the Chinese Super League and the FA Cup as a U21 player, becoming a rising star in the Chinese Super League alongside Hu Huotao. The "Rongcheng Twins" were also selected for the U20 national soccer team's training list. Surprisingly, however, he was not included in the U20 national soccer team's training list for the United Arab Emirates when it was announced.
It turned out that Mutalifu had no previous experience abroad and did not have a passport, so he fell off the training list in the UAE. Due to the complexity of getting a passport during the Chinese New Year, no one can ensure that he will get his passport before the start of the Asian Cup, and he really might not be able to participate in the tournament.
With the full help of the Chengdu Football Association, Mutalifu managed to get his passport in time for the team's training trip to Croatia, and then managed to join the team and eventually participate in the Asian Cup.
Tan Bo, the "son-in-law" from Kashgar, Xinjiang, poured his heart and soul into Mutalipu's growth.
Mutalifu grew up with a love of soccer and has shown his talent for the game since elementary school.In 2018, he was recommended to try out for the Chengdu Football Association and passed the coaching team's evaluation to become a member of the Chengdu Football Association's Deri Soccer Training Center.
Tambo commented on Mutalifu: "He impressed me in his first training session and game. He showed a lot of talent in terms of his technical versatility, speed and offense. He is one of the few players who wants to be the best he can be on the pitch, so we had no hesitation in signing him."
Mutalifu's success is no accident; he has an enthusiastic coach and a supportive team.
After he became famous, Mutalifu summarized the "code of success" of being away from home - quickly integrating into the local life and culture, and not giving up when encountering difficulties or homesickness. In order to help Mutalifu integrate better, Tan Bo often arranges for him to interact with his teammates, and takes them home to taste local food during holidays.
Today, Mutalifu's wish is to bring his parents to live in Chengdu in the future and open a Xinjiang restaurant for them. Although he is still young, his motivation and hard work have already put him on the road to realizing his dream.
Tambo is very satisfied and excited with Mutalifu's performance and he believes that Mutalifu's future performances in both the national team and the top five leagues are worth looking forward to.
Although Mutalipu has not yet landed in the Euroleague, he has caught the attention of European teams. Although clubs and individuals agree that he is still young and it may not be the best time to go to Europe, his future is full of possibilities.
