At the final Group A match of the 2023 Asian Cup held at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on the 23rd (Korea time), he said in a press conference that he had no luck after the match against Qatar. China fell to Qatar 0-1. China tied Tajikistan 0-0 in the first match and Lebanon 0-0 in the second.
The team’s best players had several chances to score against the two teams that are considered one step down, but the problem was their ability to score goals. In particular, Wu Lei, who had high expectations as a key striker for the Chinese national team, lost several chances in the last two matches, missing the chance in the empty goal at 19 minutes in the second half in a match against Lebanon. The scene sparked criticism from Chinese fans, with one fan blasting, “My grandmother will add it.” “Wu Lei refused to score a goal in the empty goal post. Chinese soccer fans lamented Wu Lei’s performance, saying, ‘This is a crime. I feel completely hopeless.’
“Congratulations to Qatar on winning all of its matches and not conceding a goal, and congratulations to Lebanon for its hard work in fighting Tajikistan,” Chinese national team coach Yankovic said. “The players were in a difficult situation, but I am proud of my attitude and spirit for the team. We had chances in the front at the last minute, but we failed to score. We missed several chances in the first half. We had about three chances to score. We were disappointed because our fate is in the hands of other teams.”
Coach Yankovic, who failed to score a goal in the last two games, made changes in the game. With Wu Lei on the bench, Zhang Yuning and Wei Xiao aimed at the Qatari net from the front. Wang Xiangyuan, Wu Shi and Lin Liangming played at the waist, and the four-back were Liu Yang, Zhu Chenjie, Zhang Guangtai, Zhang Linfeng and Liu Bin. The goalkeeper’s gloves were worn by Yan Zunling.
Qatar already secured advance to the round of 16 best teams as the No. 1 player in Group A, and partially excluded its key players to face China. Afif, who displayed stellar performance until the second group match, stayed in the bench. The goalkeeper also left the gloves to Al Shiv, his backup. Alaeddin, Abdullisag and Majid played in the front, while Marshall Hatem and Asadala were deployed at the waist. Alawi Kowki and Ali Albrake were active defense players. 스포츠토토사이트
China desperately needed to win in order to pass the group league, but started aggressive attacks from the beginning of the first half. China’s strategy was to attack Qatar on its side. On the other hand, Qatar focused on its midfield. It threatened the Chinese camp with early crosses in the early part of the first half. Qatar, with its strength in the midfield, recovered its ball possession over time. China deployed five players in its defense to block Qatar’s attacks. Qatar turned the ball slowly to avoid being trapped by China.
Qatar aggressively rushed into the Chinese camp and increased the number of shots. After intermittent counterattacks, China delivered the ball to the Qatari camp, but Sahao had a decisive opportunity. He accurately touched the inside, but failed to score as the goalkeeper was blocked. Afterwards, he tried to crack Qatar’s defense by controlling the ball from the side. China had several shooting opportunities beyond the middle of the first half, but it was not threatening. As China tried to block Qatar’s attack with its dense defense, Qatar attempted to fight for an aerial ball with its crosses from the side. In the third minute of extra time in the first half, Sahao again shot, hitting the post to suppress regret.
Qatar replaced its goalkeeper with its front-line striker at the start of the second half. At the sixth minute of the second half, Majid penetrated half space and even attempted to shoot, aiming at the Chinese net. With Lebanon scoring one goal from the opposite side to take the lead, China slid to third place in the group. It aimed to score the Qatar net with a set piece from the corner kick, but failed to create significant opportunities as it was blocked by the Qatar defense wall. China prepared Urey and Sushin for the 15th minute of the second half. However, Qatar shook the net with a fantastic goal from the set piece. Al-Haidos finished with a fantastic volley shot from Afif in the 19th minute of the second half.
Qatar upped the mood by scoring the first goal as its main striker combination. The home crowd at the Khalifa International Stadium also cheered enthusiastically. Since then, key striker Afif still fiercely hit the space behind China to score an additional goal. China did its best to score the equalizer in the remaining time. Wu Lei, who came in as a substitute, tried his best to score the equalizer, but his influence diminished. With four minutes to go before the end of the regular session, the team scored the goal but was ruled out as a goal line out during the cross process. China ended the game in defeat. In addition, it was the moment when the team finished the group stage without a goal in three matches.
“We just missed a few chances. We were unlucky. We will be able to score goals from now on,” Yankovic said of the team’s inability to score a single goal in three group matches. “We would have been worried if we didn’t make a chance. But even if we make a chance, we may not be able to score a goal,” he said.
China, which ranked third in the Iranian competition in 1976 and the Japanese competition in 1992, advanced to the quarterfinals at both the 2015 Australia competition and the 2019 Kuwait competition. Though Yankovic from Serbia worked hard for this year’s event and the 2026 North-Central America World Cup, he is on the verge of failing to pass the group stage at the Asian Cup, and has failed to score a goal at the group stage. This is why many people call for Yankovic’s replacement.
“While working in China for six years, I have strived to develop into a role for the next generation. That experience is precious to me. I am focusing more on what I can contribute to this team than on what I gain. I have no regret because I put everything into it. We still have a chance in terms of arithmetic even with the result tonight,” he stressed. Some say that factors outside of the game cannot be ignored in the Chinese national team’s poor performance. The Chinese Football Association is causing a stir by forcing its team to watch an anti-corruption documentary ahead of the Chinese national team’s match.
China’s Central Warfare Station (CCTV) broadcast an anti-corruption documentary featuring soccer officials, including former coach Li Tie, who was accused of bribery, and according to the Chinese New News, the Chinese Football Association required all members to watch the documentary while also mandating 1,500-character appreciation. The four-part documentary is about punishing violations of discipline in accordance with the principle of zero tolerance and eradicating corruption in tigers (high-ranking officials) and flies (low-level officials).
This was inevitable for the Chinese national team in Qatar to participate in the Asian Cup. The coaches and staff have different views, while the players have different views. The Beijing Daily reported, “Watching an anti-corruption documentary is not only meaningful as a warning education but also a message that the players want to acknowledge their responsibilities and contribute to the development of soccer.” However, there are criticisms on the Internet, such as “How is it helpful for the game” and “Are you an elementary school student?”
