China boss Djurdjevic eyes South Korea clash as fresh start for struggling national team
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Previous boss Branko Ivankovic was fired last month after China bombed in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Now, Djurdjevic, the China under-20 manager, has been tasked with leading a relatively inexperienced squad in games against the hosts, Japan and Hong Kong over the next eight days.
'This is a new cycle for us, we are playing three strong teams, but we will try to give our best performance and get a good start,' the 58-year-old Serb said.
'Such strong opponents will fully test our players and show how our new team performs.'
Ashley Westwood has embraced his side's status as underdogs in South Korea. Photo: May Tse
China have sunk to No 94 in the world rankings, their lowest position since they were down at No 96 in March 2016.
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