Chinese Coach Pledges to Win Against Thailand
My ambition is grand, but in reality.
Aleksandro Yankovic, head coach of the Chinese national soccer team, said in a press conference ahead of the match against Thailand on the 15th, “Chinese soccer came to Thailand to win. We are strong even without naturalized players. I will definitely win,” he said.
China and Thailand will play the first Group C match of the second qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asia at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Group C included Singapore, which caught Guam in the playoffs, following Top Seed Korea, 2 Seed China, and 3 Seed Thailand.
Rajamangala Stadium is the largest stadium in Thailand. Thailand has set the most important match as a home match against China to advance to the third qualifying round of the long-cherished World Cup and is preparing for the first match at Rajamangala Stadium, their soccer holy site.
Surprisingly, China’s performance against Thailand is not good. From a 1-5 home defeat against Thailand’s second division in 2013, he lost 0-1 again at home in 2019. In particular, Jose Antonio Camacho, then head coach of the Chinese national team, resigned due to the defeat in 2013.
On top of that, the Chinese national team was not in good condition. Under manager Jankovic, he made a special response to the second qualifying round of the World Cup, but it was not cool. Earlier in September, they lost to Malaysia 1-1 in a friendly match and 0-1 against Syria. In addition, they lost 1-2 against Uzbekistan in the October A match.
Even all three games were played at home. Needless to say, the difference between home and away is achieved in the World Cup qualifying round. In fact, there is an observation in China that it may quickly replace Jankovic depending on the results of the first and second rounds. Shandong coach Choi Kang-hee was mentioned as a substitute, but he himself denied the rumor and suppressed it.
It is a difficult game in many ways. Coach Jankovic, who will compete in the guillotine match, said, “I’ve been preparing for the game for as long as eight months. We are all fighting spirit. In particular, I try to win with the goal of advancing to the World Cup unconditionally, he said. “This is the biggest challenge in my soccer life. The players are also burning with enthusiasm,” he said.
However, the Chinese national team is not the best. It is because the team failed to select all naturalized Brazilian players such as Elkesson, who was the mainstay of the national team. The naturalized player of the offense has not been selected at all, and Jang Kwang-tai, the axis of the defense, is not in good condition.
“The Chinese national team is strong even without naturalized players,” said manager Yanokovic, who relied on Elkesson and others until the A match in September. All the players are enthusiastic and ready. “I’m so happy,” he said, expressing strong confidence, “I came to Thailand to win.”
China should prepare for the match against Thailand and immediately play a home game against South Korea. Considering the gap with South Korea in the first seed, it is a home game but burdensome. When asked about the match against South Korea, Jankovic said, “Only one game is possible at a time. “I will only think about the match against Thailand and not the match against Korea,” he said, avoiding an immediate answer. 스포츠토토