The Zhuhai University Games are held in October and November 2022, with UIC students competing in six of the eight sport events. The UIC Football Team made its first appearance on 30 October 2022, facing the team of Jinan University at Huitong Sports Park. The men’s football team is UIC’s largest sports team with more than 40 active players, from which 25 were nominated for the tournament.

The UIC team got off to a good start and showed a strong desire to win. Pressing high they conquered many balls in the opposition half and created multiple scoring opportunities. The first half’s biggest chance had team captain Jiheng Xu when heading the ball narrowly beside the goal after a corner kick. After 30 minutes Jinan University managed to escape UIC’s pressure and launched a counter attack which resulted in the first goal of the game, giving them the 1:0 lead. The goal came from Jinan’s first and only shot on target in the first half.

In the second half UIC attacked even more intensively, bringing in their substitutes and playing with three strikers. The biggest chance had winger Yuxiao Ma whose close range shot was stopped by the excellent Jinan goalkeeper. Near the end of the match, UIC thought they should have a penalty after striker Yuqi Huang went down in the penalty box. The referee did not award the penalty, although after the game when reviewing video footage of the scene he admitted his mistake and expressed regret to the UIC team. In the end Jinan University defended their narrow lead and won the game 1:0.

Although UIC lost the first match regretfully, our team’s strong performance gives hope for the next matches. Watch out for further news of the Zhuhai University Games on our website and WeChat.