===Henan===
===Henan===
[[File:Henan players 2025-04-25.jpg|thumb|Henan players after defeat in the season’s first meeting with Beijing Guoan]]
On 25 April, Henan suffered a narrow 1–0 league defeat to Beijing Guoan, with [[Fang Hao]] being the difference-maker.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dongqiudi.com/articles/5055142.html|title=国安1-0河南，方昊制胜球，张稀哲替补染红，林良铭助攻|website=www.dongqiudi.com|date=25 April 2025|access-date=1 December 2025|language=zh}}</ref> Four days after this very match, it was announced that Henan’s manager, [[Nam Ki-il]], was sacked. Replacing him was [[Daniel Ramos (footballer)|Daniel Ramos]], most recently of [[AVS Futebol SAD|AVS]] in Portugal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dongqiudi.com/articles/5064151.html|title=官方：河南队主教练南基一下课；丹尼尔-拉莫斯出任新主教练|website=www.dongqiudi.com|date=29 April 2025|access-date=1 December 2025|language=zh}}</ref>
On 21 May, Henan entered the competition in an away tie with a 2–1 victory against China League One opponent [[Chongqing Tonglianglong F.C.|Chongqing Tonglianglong]] in the third round with goals from [[Felippe Cardoso]] and [[Li Xingxian]] for Henan, and a goal from [[Wu Yongqiang]] for Chongqing Tonglianglong.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dongqiudi.com/articles/5110862.html|title=河南2-1重庆铜梁龙晋级，卡多索、吴永强建功，李星贤制胜|website=www.dongqiudi.com|date=21 May 2025|access-date=20 August 2025|language=zh}}</ref> In the fourth round, Henan beat Chinese Super League side [[Zhejiang Professional F.C.|Zhejiang]] on 22 June with a 3–2 home victory. [[Zhong Yihao]], [[Wang Shangyuan]], and Felippe Cardoso scored for Henan, while [[Franko Andrijašević]] and [[Liu Haofan]] entered the score sheet for Zhejiang.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dongqiudi.com/articles/5180865.html|title=河南3-2浙江晋级将战申花，王上源、钟义浩互相传射，卡多索绝杀|website=www.dongqiudi.com|date=22 June 2025|access-date=20 August 2025|language=zh}}</ref>
On 21 May, Henan entered the competition in an away tie with a 2–1 victory against China League One opponent [[Chongqing Tonglianglong F.C.|Chongqing Tonglianglong]] in the third round with goals from [[Felippe Cardoso]] and [[Li Xingxian]] for Henan, and a goal from [[Wu Yongqiang]] for Chongqing Tonglianglong.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dongqiudi.com/articles/5110862.html|title=河南2-1重庆铜梁龙晋级，卡多索、吴永强建功，李星贤制胜|website=www.dongqiudi.com|date=21 May 2025|access-date=20 August 2025|language=zh}}</ref> In the fourth round, Henan beat Chinese Super League side [[Zhejiang Professional F.C.|Zhejiang]] on 22 June with a 3–2 home victory. [[Zhong Yihao]], [[Wang Shangyuan]], and Felippe Cardoso scored for Henan, while [[Franko Andrijašević]] and [[Liu Haofan]] entered the score sheet for Zhejiang.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dongqiudi.com/articles/5180865.html|title=河南3-2浙江晋级将战申花，王上源、钟义浩互相传射，卡多索绝杀|website=www.dongqiudi.com|date=22 June 2025|access-date=20 August 2025|language=zh}}</ref>
Association football match in 2025
Football match
The 2025 Chinese FA Cup final will be a football match to determine the winners of the 2025 Chinese FA Cup, the 27th edition of the national football cup of China, the Chinese FA Cup. The match will take place on Saturday 6 December 2025 at the Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre in Suzhou, between Beijing Guoan and Henan.
The winners of this match will qualify for the league stage of the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite, as well as the 2026 Chinese FA Super Cup.
Venue
On 30 September 2024, it was announced that the match will be played at the Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre in Suzhou, Jiangsu.[1]
Route to the final
Beijing Guoan
On 21 May, Beijing Guoan visited China League One side Shijiazhuang Gongfu to begin their tournament. With two goals from Wang Ziming, and a goal each from Dawhan, Zhang Yuan, and a goal from captain Zhang Xizhe on his 400th Guoan appearance, the match finished as a 5–0 victory for Beijing Guoan.[2][3] On 21 June, Guoan faced fellow Chinese Super League side Dalian Yingbo away from home in the fourth round. Cephas Malele‘s penalty gave a 1–0 lead to Dalian Yingbo, and Zhang Yuning equalised in the 90th minute. After a goalless extra time, Liu Yi‘s penalty was eventually saved by Hou Sen to take Guoan through to the quarter-finals.[4]
Beijing Guoan faced Qingdao West Coast away in their quarter-final on 22 July. After a goal for Beijing Guoan from Wang Ziming and a goal for Qingdao West Coast from Abdul-Aziz Yakubu, the match entered extra-time. Cao Yongjing first scored for Beijing Guoan in the 177th minute, however, Davidson equalised for Qingdao West Coast in the 119th minute. Dawhan scored the winning penalty to send Guoan into the semi-finals.[5]
On 20 August, Beijing Guoan hosted Yunnan Yukun in what would be a 7–0 victory. After Fábio Abreu‘s goal in the 26th minute, Yunnan Yukun’s Andrei Burcă was sent off with a direct red card for violent conduct. Wang Gang and Guga then scored a goal each to take Guoan 3–0 up by half-time. After Lin Liangming, Jiang Wenhao, Zhang Xizhe, and Zhang Yuning’s goals sealed the victory for Beijing Guoan in the second half, the match marked the end of the club’s seven-year absence from the Chinese FA Cup final since 2018.[6][7]
On 5 October, Beijing Guoan announced the resignation of its manager, Quique Setién, after a run of league performances below expectation.[8] Two days later, Setién’s assistant manager, Ramiro Amarelle, was named Guoan’s interim manager.[9]
Henan
On 25 April, Henan suffered a narrow 1–0 league defeat to Beijing Guoan, with Fang Hao being the difference-maker.[10] Four days after this very match, it was announced that Henan’s manager, Nam Ki-il, was sacked. Replacing him was Daniel Ramos, most recently of AVS in Portugal.[11]
On 21 May, Henan entered the competition in an away tie with a 2–1 victory against China League One opponent Chongqing Tonglianglong in the third round with goals from Felippe Cardoso and Li Xingxian for Henan, and a goal from Wu Yongqiang for Chongqing Tonglianglong.[12] In the fourth round, Henan beat Chinese Super League side Zhejiang on 22 June with a 3–2 home victory. Zhong Yihao, Wang Shangyuan, and Felippe Cardoso scored for Henan, while Franko Andrijašević and Liu Haofan entered the score sheet for Zhejiang.[13]
In the quarter-final, Henan travelled away to play Shanghai Shenhua on 23 July. Luis Asué gave Shenhua the lead, only to be equalised by Felippe Cardoso five minutes later. Henan’s Frank Acheampong fired Henan into the lead, and Shenhua equalised in the 83rd minute with Wilson Manafá. Felippe Cardoso scored again in extra-time, however, his goal was nullified by a Shenhua goal from Liu Chengyu. After a thrilling 3–3 draw, the match went to a penalty shoot-out, and Henan were victorious after Xu Jiamin saved Liu Chengyu’s penalty in the tenth round of penalty kicks.[14]
On 19 August, Henan faced Chengdu Rongcheng away in the semi-final. After a 0–0 draw in regular time as well as extra time, the match boiled down to a penalty shoot-out once more. With Henan goalkeeper Wang Guoming saving Timo Letschert‘s penalty in the fifth round, Henan became Chinese FA Cup finalists for the first time in the club’s 31-year history.[15][16]
