Desperation Strikes China as They Seek Redemption in World Cup Qualifiers

The Chinese national team began their qualifying campaign on a disappointing note, suffering a humbling 7-0 defeat to Japan. They followed this with a narrow 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia, despite playing with a one-man advantage. Their struggles continued as they squandered a 1-0 lead and ultimately fell 3-1 to Australia on Oct 10.

This losing streak leaves China rock bottom of Group C with zero points and a goal difference of minus 10.

The top two teams in each group will directly qualify for the World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams move into a further round of qualifying.

Ivankovic hammered home that China are aiming for a top-four finish, while also noting that the Indonesia game is “just the beginning of a real battle”.

As it stands, finishing in the top two in the group may prove a daunting task for China, but progressing into the fourth round of qualifying is a tangible target.

After losing to Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia, they cannot afford to make any mistakes against Indonesia.

Eyebrows may be raised at Ivankovic’s statement, with so many problems exposed in China’s first three matches – weakness at defending set-pieces, physical issues in the games’ closing stages, and failure to string together a consistent run of play.

Nevertheless, the coach and players have expressed their ambitions, and to most home fans, anything other than a home victory would be deemed a failure.

With China looking for a resounding response, Indonesia also expect to take home the three points. The South-east Asian squad had long been a walkover for China, but now things are different.

The Indonesians are a much-improving side compared to their previous outings.

With the help of more than 10 naturalised players, most of whom play in European leagues, they have become an emerging side that cannot be ignored, as evidenced by strong performances in their opening matches, with draws against Saudi Arabia, Australia and Bahrain.

While leaders Japan are running away with nine points from nine, the remaining five teams in the group are only divided by four points, so a victory could drastically change the situation.

Ivankovic is aware of what is at stake, coming under mounting pressure for his tactics, substitutions, and even for some comments at press conferences.

Although the Chinese Football Association has declared their faith in the coach, the 70-year-old still needs a morale-boosting win to restore his reputation. XINHUA