The only goal of the away team was scored by Zhang Yuning in the 90+1 minute. This result is somewhat surprising based on the form and situation of the two teams at the moment.
With this victory, the Chinese team has 6 points, equal to the points of Australia and Saudi Arabia. They open up a great opportunity to compete directly in Group C or continue to the 4th qualifying round. Previously, in the first 3 matches, the Chinese team lost to Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.
“Congratulations to our players for this great victory. We performed very well in this match, we deserved to win. Bahrain is a strong team, this was a very difficult match, we thank the players for their dedication,” China coach Branko Ivankovic told Sport163 (China).
The Croatian strategist emphasized that the Chinese team came to Bahrain with the goal of winning 3 points. The team has a number of new players, replacing the veteran faces, but these recruits have met the trust of the coaching staff. After the victory against Bahrain, the Chinese team had a number of players injured, leaving open the possibility of playing against the Japanese team on November 19.
“This victory brings a lot of joy and confidence to the Chinese team. Many young players in the team have not experienced top-level matches. The victory is certainly beneficial to their growth and development. We deserved to win this match, deserved to get 3 points,” said Mr. Ivankovic.
Historically, the Chinese team has not participated in the World Cup since 2002. That puts a lot of pressure on Ivankovic to win a ticket to the 2026 World Cup - when it is expanded to 48 participating teams.
“This is the toughest group. I want to emphasize that Bahrain is not a weak team. Indonesia has more than 10 naturalized players, all of whom are playing in Europe. Australia, Japan, and Saudi Arabia are all teams that regularly participate in the World Cup. Therefore, the players need to try their best.
As a coach, I definitely want to play better and always strive to win matches. In this match, I put pressure on my opponent from the first minute; Zhang Yuning got a good chance.
Each team has its own preparation and tactics. For us, the top 3 teams in the group will be Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia; if we want to gain points to be in the Top 4, we need to score points from Bahrain and Indonesia,” Mr. Ivankovic concluded.
According to the schedule, the Chinese team will have a rematch with the Japanese team on the evening of November 19. In the first leg, the Japanese team won 7-0 at home.
