Majed shamhani

AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup: The Chinese men's beach soccer team fell 5-3 to Saudi Arabia in its opening Group B match of the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup 2025 in Pattaya on Thursday in an encounter marked by dramatic momentum shifts.

China struck first through a swift counterattack, but Saudi Arabia equalized late in the same period. Saudi Arabia briefly took the lead in the second period. China responded instantly, as goalkeeper Guo Wei unleashed a thunderous strike from his own goal line to level the score at 2-2, reports Xinhua.

The action intensified in the closing seconds of the second period. China regained the lead through Liu Yisi's left-footed free-kick, awarded after a Saudi handball offense, only for Saudi Arabia's Majed Shamhani to mirror the feat moments later with a free-kick resulting from a Chinese handball, leaving the score tied at 3-3.