With the harsh winter approaching, a new week is just around the corner, and with it comes the Asian Cup. The eagerly awaited Qatar Asian Cup will kick off on time at 7 p.m. local time on January 12 (Friday) in Doha (corresponding to 0:00 a.m. Beijing time on January 13). In Group A, the esteemed host Qatar will face off against Lebanon in a thrilling matchup that will set the opening match of the Asian Cup into a brilliant chapter. Immediately afterwards, at 10:30 p.m. Beijing time on January 13, the Chinese team in the same group will meet the challenge of its second opponent, Tajikistan.
It is worth mentioning here that although this Asian Cup was originally scheduled to be held in China, due to force majeure, the hosting rights were transferred to Qatar, and the time was accordingly moved from the scheduled 2023 to early 2024. However, even so, the transfer did not dampen the enthusiasm and commitment of the participating teams. According to the pre-set competition rules, a total of 24 teams participated in the final stage of the Asian Cup. They are divided into six teams, A, B, C, D, E, and F, each containing four teams. In the group stage, the top two teams from each group and the four top performers will advance to the next round of Round of 16 as contenders for the next stage of competition.
In the eyes of every participating team, this Asian Cup is a great opportunity for them to show their strength and sprint to the top of glory. In this world of football, where possibilities are endless, any game can shake the course of fate. Whether it is the host Qatar, Lebanon, China, or Tajikistan, they all hope to create their own history on this glorious stage and win back the supreme glory for their motherland. The Chinese team, as the 11th ranked powerhouse in Asia, wants to enter the round of 16, and the three matchups in the group stage are the decisive moment. The first team they face is Asia's sixth-ranked Qatar, and the odds are slim. However, for the Chinese team, the match against Tajikistan and Lebanon, which are below them, must fight to the death. A better win will advance to the round of 16, while a defeat will stop there.
The first of the three crucial matches was against Tajikistan. This game is recognized as a "battle of life and death", and its importance can be described as self-evident. Looking back at the past warm-up matches, the Chinese team only lost 1:2 to their opponents in the competition with Hong Kong, while Tajikistan won 2:1. Such a stark gap undoubtedly further increases the difficulty for the Chinese team to score all three points against Tajikistan.
Since ancient times, knowing oneself and knowing one's opponent will not be defeated in a hundred battles. At present, the head coach of the Chinese men's football team, Jankovic, and his team have a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead. They are mentally prepared and ready to tackle the toughest of games. They know that every game, every goal, every goal difference is crucial in order to excel in the fierce environment of Asian football. Therefore, for the Chinese team, every upcoming game is a severe test. They will need to show their will and determination against strong opponents, as well as show their strength and determination against teams at the bottom of the rankings. Only in this way will they be able to achieve their long-cherished dream of reaching the round of 16.
In short, despite many difficulties and challenges, the Chinese team did not choose to back down. They are well prepared and will do everything they can to no matter who they face. For them, this is not only a competitive event, but also an important platform to test their self-worth and show their style. Recently, the Chinese men's national football team has carried out a series of preparatory activities and participated in a series of warm-up matches at the Tai Ali Uraj Sports Training Base in the United Arab Emirates. Although the national football team has won two wins and two losses in the four friendly matches, the difficulties and challenges faced in the process are quite representative.
In the first warm-up match, the national football team relied on Lin Liangming's first goal and subsequent brace, as well as goals from Zhang Yuning, Wu Lei and Jiang Shenglong, and finally defeated the team of the United Arab Emirates Second Division - Regional Sports, and declared the victory with an absolute advantage of 5-1. The victory was inspiring and demonstrated the strength of the national football team in terms of attacking lines. However, for the subsequent results, it was a twist and turn. Facing the Oman national football team, which is also ranked 10th in Asian football and ranked in Group F of this Asian Cup, the national football team finally lost 0-2 after a fierce competition. This defeat raises questions about the defensive capabilities of the national football team, as it clearly shows that there are still certain deficiencies in the national team's defensive line against strong opponents.
In the third clash with Hong Kong, China, although the national football team successfully broke the deadlock with Tan Long's first lead, due to the unstable defense line in the follow-up battle, the opponent finally overtook the score 2-1 and lost the whole game. The defeat has heightened concerns about the stability of the national team's defence, especially the failure to maintain a strong defensive quality in a leading situation. In the last friendly match, although the national football team defeated the UAE Gulf Heroes team with a score of 6-2, the opponent also won in the game, which once again exposed the problem of the national football team's defensive support ability. Zhang Yuning scored a "hat trick", and Li Lei, Wei Shihao and Wu Lei all scored. Although the national football team won this game, it also made the problem more prominent.
In general, the national football team in this warm-up match showed a good competitive state, including Wu Lei, Zhang Yuning, Wei Shihao, Tan Long and many other marksmen have played well, but sticking to the defense line has become an urgent problem to be solved, four warm-up games have conceded a total of seven goals. This is a wake-up call for the national football team to make positive adjustments in defence. According to the pre-formulated preparation plan, the Chinese national men's football team arrived in Doha on the evening of January 7, Beijing time, and officially settled in the competition area after a short rest.
According to the process of 5:30 p.m. local time (0:30 a.m. Beijing time the next day), the national football coach Jankovic led the whole team to the officially designated training venue - Qatar University Training Ground, and carried out the first official training since arriving in Doha. Judging from the pictures and video materials from the scene, the condition of core players such as Wu Lei and Wei Shihao has been maintained quite well, showing a good level of competition.
In the urgent pre-match preparation stage, the national football team specially arranged for all members to watch a documentary produced by China Central Radio and Television Station and attracted widespread attention in China - "Continue to Make Efforts, Advance in Depth". According to Football News, the Chinese national men's football team will collectively watch the fourth and final episode of the documentary on the evening of January 9, Beijing time. In this clip, Li Tie, the former head coach of the national football team, as well as Chen Xuyuan and Du Zhaocai, former senior managers of the Chinese Football Association, will make introspective remarks about their own behavior in front of the camera, sharing their thoughts on introspection and perception. In addition, the documentary not only provides anti-corruption education materials for the national football players, but also helps to spread the resolute attitude and positive energy of anti-corruption to the whole society.
In the current intensive preparation process, the national football players need to be in the best condition to meet the challenges that come one after another. Based on this, the internationals will be able to give their all and show the best individual qualities. According to the schedule, the national football team will collide head-on with the first round opponent of this Asian Cup, Tajikistan, at 22:30 in the evening of Saturday, January 13, Beijing time. The importance of this game for the national football team is self-evident. It is not only related to the honor of the team, but also injects great help into the future image and development of Chinese football. Therefore, the internationals must be fully focused and do everything they can to bring out the best in every individual situation.
In order to ensure the smooth holding of the event, the national football team has made sufficient preparations. Not only did they complete the high-intensity training tasks at the Qatar University training ground, but they also improved their overall ideological understanding by watching anti-corruption documentaries. This fully reflects the professionalism and high sense of responsibility of the national football players. Their dedication is not limited to this, but also extends to the glory and disgrace and prospects of the entire Chinese football.