China seek 'perfect' Indonesia win to keep World Cup dream alive
China will fight to stay alive in the hunt for a World Cup spot with hopes of a "perfect performance" when they face Indonesia in a crucial qualifier on Thursday, coach Branko Ivankovic said.
China stand on the brink of elimination from World Cup qualification -- a defeat at Indonesia's sold-out, 76,000-seater Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Thursday would end any chance of the Chinese team reaching the tournament for only the second time in their history.
Advertisement
"Tomorrow will be a massive game for us. I hope all the team will have a perfect performance," Ivankovic told reporters Wednesday ahead of the clash in Jakarta.
"It will be a pressure game but I've told my players to move this pressure into motivation."
In their last qualifier China lost to Saudi Arabia in Riyadh despite having reignited their World Cup hopes with wins against Indonesia and Bahrain.
The top two teams from the three Asian qualifying groups will qualify for the World Cup while teams finishing third and fourth go into another round of qualifying.
China are bottom of the six sides in Group C with two games to go, level with Bahrain on six points but three behind Indonesia in the crucial fourth spot.
Advertisement
"It's a stressful game, a hard game for us. But we prepare like normal," said Beijing Guoan striker Zhang Yuning.
"Everyone on the pitch for China will fight for our best until the last minute and fight for the result."
Japan are runaway leaders on 20 points, with Australia currently in the all-important second place on 13 points. Both will play each other on Thursday.
FIFA currently ranks China 94th in the world.
jfx/dhc
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Red Roses star Botterman on coping with ADHD
England star Hannah Botterman says she hopes her ADHD diagnosis proves that the condition does not hold you back. She is about to play for the Red Roses in the World Cup and hoping the team can go one better than their defeat in the final by New Zealand four years ago. Botterman admits that as a child, she was "a bit of a problem" and often got into trouble. "I was branded the naughty kid at school who wouldn't shut up," she tells BBC Sport. "I was looking at some old videos of me at a sports day, and I was thinking, 'How has no-one picked that up [her ADHD] a bit sooner?' "Everyone was on the start line, and I was messing around. I didn't realise how much it affected me. I would have loved my parents to know that I wasn't deliberately being the naughty kid." ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. For children, there are two main areas of concern: Inattention - this involves forgetting things, difficulty concentrating, organising themselves, or focusing on what a teacher is saying. Hyperactivity and Impulsivity – symptoms include struggling to stay still, fidgeting, interrupting people, overtaking people in a queue, not waiting their turn, or a lack of danger awareness. Botterman was diagnosed with the condition in November 2024 and says she has embraced it. "It's a big part of me and I'm not embarrassed by it and it's not something you should fight. "Children with ADHD can be branded with something they can have no control over. "But there are definitely struggles with it. "A lot of the time it's not necessarily the hyperactivity; it's more the mental stimulation. "We just want to be the most liked and loved in the room, so be kind to those who have it." 'I was given my first two caps because there were genuinely no props left' The front-row forward, from Hertfordshire, has rugby in her blood, with uncle Gregg Botterman and aunt Jane Everett both former England internationals. Botterman herself started playing at the age of four, but almost quit the game altogether before joining Saracens in 2017. As a teenager she was asked to leave Hartpury College and admits she was given too much freedom and got into too much trouble. "It was the first time I had been away from home," she says. "I wanted to be a 16-year-old and do what I wanted, when I wanted. I fell out of love with the game. "But being a professional rugby player wasn't an option for me back then. I didn't have that external driving force that younger girls have now. "If I knew I could have done this for a living, I would have been a better 16 year old." "I worked in a Harvester [restaurant], I did painting and decorating, and didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. "I was given my first two England caps because there were genuinely no props left in England." Her international debut eight years ago gave her a focus and a renewed determination. "From that point on, I put my head down. I ate salads instead of pasties every day. I'd go to gym before and after work, and got myself in good shape to be called up for my third cap a year or so later. I worked hard and earned my place." Botterman, who moved from Saracens to Bristol in 2023, has since become one of England's most dynamic players, winning 58 caps, and helping the team to a 27-game winning streak. "My exterior look would suggest I am probably a bit intimidating," she says. "I may be one of the loudest in the room but ultimately I want to remembered as someone who cares pretty deeply about this team and what we want to do." But at the last Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2021, she faced one of the toughest moments of her career. In the space of a few days, an injury ruled her out of the semi-final, the final, and rugby for six months - and on the day of the final, her grandfather died. "That time was extremely difficult, but it gave me a wider perspective that there is a lot more to life than rugby." Flashing mouthguards to indicate HIA at World Cup 1,001 days and counting - unbeatable England in ideal World Cup shape Fast forward to 2025 and Botterman wants to inspire children across England as the Red Roses travel to Sunderland, Brighton and Northampton during the pool stages of this summer's World Cup. They face the USA at the Stadium Of Light on Friday, followed by group games against Samoa and Australia. The final takes place at Twickenham on 27 September, with the Red Roses hoping to lift the trophy for the first time since 2014. "To be able to take rugby around the country is really special. It will be a really big occasion, getting the support of the country behind us," Botterman says. "We have nothing to prove externally, but it's about proving to ourselves that we can lift the title." BBC Action Line: ADHD information and support
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Injured Rabada ruled out of ODI series for South Africa. Australia fields first in Game 1
CAIRNS, Australia (AP) — Pace bowler Kagiso Rabada was ruled out with an ankle injury in a major setback for South Africa just as the three-game ODI series got underway against Australia on Tuesday. The Australians, coming off a 2-1 win in the T20 series, won the toss and elected to field in Cairns to start the one-day international portion of the tour. This is the first ODI between the teams since Australia beat South Africa in the 2023 World Cup semifinals. Their scheduled Champions Trophy meeting in March was washed out. Power hitter Dewald Brevis and allrounder Prenelan Subrayen were selected to make their ODI debuts for South Africa, and Temba Bavuma returned for his first match since leading the Proteas to the World Test Championship with a victory over Australia in the final at Lord's. The 30-year-old Rabada underwent scans on Monday which confirmed inflammation in his right ankle. Rabada will stay with the team in Australia and undergo rehabilitation. Kewena Maphaka, who finished as the leading wicket-taker in last week's T20 series, replaced Rabada in the squad but was left out of the playing XI for the first ODI. Marnus Labuschagne returned to the Australian team after being dropped from the recent test series victory in the Caribbean. ___ Lineups: Australia: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Aaron Hardie, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood. South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Temba Bavuma (captain), Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Prenelan Subrayen, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi. ___
2 hours ago
India's Modi to meet China's top diplomat as Asian powers rebuild ties
NEW DELHI -- NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with China's top diplomat on Tuesday in a sign of easing tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors after a yearslong standoff between the Asian powers. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who arrived in India on Monday, is scheduled to hold talks with Modi and other leaders, including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, about the disputed border in the Himalayan mountains. Reducing the number of troops on the border, and resuming some trade there, is expected to be on the agenda. The rebuilding of ties coincides with friction between New Delhi and Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on India, a longtime ally seen as a counterbalance against China's influence in Asia. India is part of the Quad security alliance with the U.S. along with Australia and Japan. India and China's decades-old border dispute worsened in 2020 after a deadly clash between their troops in the Ladakh region. The chill in relations affected trade, diplomacy and air travel as both sides deployed tens of thousands of security forces in border areas. Some progress has been made since then. Last year, India and China agreed to a pact on border patrols and withdrew additional forces along some border areas. Both countries continue to fortify their border by building roads and rail networks. In recent months, the countries have increased official visits and discussed easing some trade restrictions, movement of citizens and visas for businesspeople. In June, Beijing allowed pilgrims from India to visit holy sites in Tibet. Both sides are working to restore direct flights. Last week, the spokesman for India's foreign ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, said India and China were in discussions to restart trade through three points along their 3,488-kilometer (2,167-mile) border. Manoj Joshi, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank, said relations are still at an uneasy level of normalization. 'Settling the boundary issue between the two countries requires political compromise at the highest political level,' said Joshi, who also served as a member of the advisory board for India's National Security Council. He asserted that the countries are "still talking past each other when it comes to the border dispute and issues surrounding it." On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing is willing to take Wang's India visit as an opportunity to work with the Indian side to 'properly handle differences and promote the sustained, sound and stable development of China-India relations.' Mao said Wang's meeting with Modi's national security adviser will 'continue in-depth communication to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas.' The thaw between Beijing and New Delhi began last October when Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at a summit of emerging economies in Russia. It was the first time the leaders had spoken in person since 2019. Modi is set to met Xi when he travels to China late this month — his first visit in seven years — to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional grouping formed by China, Russia and others to counter U.S. influence in Asia. Earlier this year, Xi called for India and China's relations to take the form of a 'dragon-elephant tango' — a dance between the emblematic animals of the countries. Last month, India's external affairs minister visited Beijing in his first trip to China since 2020. The renewed engagement comes as New Delhi's ties with Trump are fraying. Washington has imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, which includes a penalty of 25% for purchasing Russian crude oil. The tariffs take effect Aug. 27. India has shown no sign of backing down, instead signing more agreements with Russia to deepen economic cooperation. Trump's renewed engagement with India's arch rival, Pakistan, has also encouraged New Delhi's overtures to China, said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who led Indian military's Northern Command from 2014 to 2016. In June, Trump hosted Pakistan's army chief for a White House lunch and later announced an energy deal with Islamabad to jointly develop the country's oil reserves. Both followed Trump's claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after the two sides traded military strikes in May. 'China is heavily invested in Pakistan and, practically speaking, you can't have any expectation that Beijing will hold back support to Islamabad," Hooda said. 'But you can't have two hostile neighbors on your borders and simultaneously deal with them also.'
