Latest news with #ZhangYuning
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
China seek perfection in do-or-die World Cup qualifier clash against Indonesia
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. Advertisement 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. 'Tomorrow will be a massive game for us. I hope all the team will have a perfect performance,' Ivankovic told reporters ahead of the clash in Jakarta. 'We are well aware of the pressure playing in Indonesia's home stadium, and we've been preparing the players to turn that pressure into motivation. 'Indonesia has strengthened its squad with naturalised players, making this a difficult match for us. We need to stay focused and avoid any distractions.' Zhang Yuning scores China's second goal in their 2-1 win over Indonesia last October. Photo Reuters In their previous qualifier, China lost to Saudi Arabia in Riyadh despite having reignited their World Cup hopes with wins against Indonesia and Bahrain.
France 24
4 days ago
- General
- France 24
China seek 'perfect' Indonesia win to keep World Cup dream alive
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. "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. "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.
