Can China, which faces defending champion and host Qatar, win this match? Or can they even score a goal?
The Chinese national soccer team, led by coach Aleksandar Jankovic, is set to hold a match against Qatar in the third round of the Group A match at the 2023 AFC Qatar Asian Cup at Khalifa National Stadium. China had two matches at the Qatar Asian Cup, and had only a goalless draw for the second consecutive time. According to the rankings, China is ranking second in the group following Qatar with six points. The problem is that if the victory or defeat is decided in the match between Tajikistan and Lebanon, and China fails to win, the ranking could be taken away. This is why the upcoming match against Qatar is very important for China.
However, Chinese media are showing very sensitive reactions ahead of the match. China has been showing signs of winning at least one win in the Asian Cup finals anyway. However, it did not win a single match until the match against Qatar, which is considered the strongest in Group A. Although it is considered inferior to Qatar in terms of objective power, there are growing calls to win this match.
Peng Xiaoting, a former defender of the Chinese national team who played in the K-League in the past, expressed the same opinion. Peng Xiaoting showed his support for his juniors, saying, “China has won at least one game in every Asian Cup in history. I firmly believe that this time is no exception.” If China does not beat Qatar, there will be a significant aftermath after the tournament, as one win will prove to be a tough one in the Asian Cup
In addition, attention is being paid to whether China will be able to score a goal in this game. In the first round against Tajikistan, China’s defender Zhu Chen-je shook the opponent’s net, but Jang Kwang-tai was not recognized for scoring by VAR that he was in an offside position. In the last match against Lebanon, Wu Lei was criticized by Chinese media and fans for failing to score a goal by firing a ridiculous shot into an empty goal without a goalkeeper. China has no choice but to feel very lethargic as it is unable to score a goal, let alone win.
Thanks to Qatar`s early confirmation of its advance to the round of 16 teams, Beijing is expected to eliminate a large number of its flagship players, including Akram Afif. China is lucky not to play against Qatar, which has poison. However, doubts are growing over whether it will be able to win this match or score a goal. Attention is focusing on whether Qatar will be able to break the zero trend in the match.
BY: 스포츠토토