The China-Japan match, in the 6th match, the 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, will take place at 7:00 p.m. on November 19. In the first leg, the Chinese team lost to Japan 0-7, with a completely inferior position.
“After the loss in the first leg, the players clearly understand the strength of their opponents. They can definitely play better in the rematch. The whole team will try 200% to give their all for the Chinese team, in a stadium full of spectators,” coach Branko Ivankovic said before the match.
After losing their first three matches against Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia, China have had two consecutive victories against Bahrain and Indonesia. The Croatian strategist said he was satisfied with his players' performance.
In the rematch with Japan, the Chinese team will not have the strongest force, as Zhang Yuning and Li Lei will be absent. Previously, they were injured in the victory over Bahrain. Previously, Fernando, Alan and Wu Lei were not selected or withdrew from this training camp early due to injuries. Overall, the Chinese team will be missing many key attacking players when playing against Japan.
“The absence of our main striker will certainly affect the whole team. But we are establishing our own style of play and formation. We will definitely stick to our style of play without being affected too much by the change in personnel,” said Ivankovic.
Compared to the Chinese team, the Japanese team is rated much higher, having won 4 and drawn 1 after 5 matches, scoring 19 goals and conceding 1 goal. Mr. Ivankovic clearly understands the challenge that he and his students face.
“There is no need to say more about the Japanese team. They are a world-class team. In this home game, I believe the players can prepare fully and go out without any hesitation and give everything they have,” said the Chinese coach.
But when a reporter asked if the Chinese team had a chance to beat the Japanese team, Mr. Ivankovic just smiled and said vaguely: "In football, anything can happen."
