The quadrennial Asian Cup will start this weekend, when Jankovic will lead the Chinese men's football team to the first game against the Tajikistan men's football team. In addition to the national football team, there is another team from China in this Asian Cup, that is, the Hong Kong, China men's football team, which returned to the Asian Cup after 54 years, which is the first time in the 68-year history of the Asian Cup that two Chinese teams will participate together.
According to the data, the national football team participated in the Asian Cup for the first time in 1976, and has never been absent from the finals since then, the previous 12 events, the national football team has qualified for the group 9 times, and has won 2 runners-up and 2 third places, but the last 2 consecutive stops in the top 8 stage.
In this Asian Cup, the national football team is in Group A with the host Qatar, Lebanon and Tajikistan, and the team's goal is to advance to the top 8.
Recently, in an Asian Cup prediction program, former UAE international Faisal Khalil made his own prediction, believing that the national football team will qualify second in the group and defeat the United Arab Emirates in the round of 16 to advance to the top 8, but the quarter-finals will be eliminated by Japan, which finally defeated South Korea in the final to win the championship.
In addition, former Palestinian international Bahadari is also optimistic that the national football team will beat the UAE in the round of 16 to advance to the last eight, although he believes that Iran will beat Japan in the end to win the title.
In order to achieve the goal of advancing to the top 8, the national football team must play well in the group stage. Although the third place in the group also has a chance to qualify, the national football team can only compete for the top two places in the group in order to avoid meeting Australia or Iran early after advancing to the round of 16.
In this way, when the national football team wins the first place in Group A, the opponent in the round of 16 is the third with the best result in Group C/D/E, and once the second place in Group A is locked, the opponent in the round of 16 is the second in Group C.
Coincidentally, Hong Kong, China happened to be placed in Group C, which includes Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Palestine. Judging from the strength of Hong Kong, China, it is unlikely to compete for the first place in the group, and the second and third places in the group have a chance, so once they advance to the knockout round, maybe the round of 16 will play the national football team and stage a derby by the Chinese team, which has never happened in the Asian Cup in 64 years.
On New Year's Day, Hong Kong, China reversed the national football team 2-1, defeating the national football team in the international A-level competition again after 39 years, and also ending the embarrassing record of 16 consecutive games without a win, showing a good game state.