Branko Ivankovic's China lineup faces another reality check in World Cup qualifying, with the national team risking falling further behind the global ambitions it promoted a decade ago.
China hosts Australia at Hangzhou in Asian qualifying on Tuesday with its hopes of a direct entry to the 2026 World Cup hanging precariously on the outcome. A loss will end those hopes, leaving China with another, more tense route through a fourth round of Asian qualifying.
A decade ago, as the Chinese Super League was spending hundreds of millions of dollars on big-name foreign players, the national soccer federation released a plan laying out a route to a status of international powerhouse by 2050 and one of the best teams in Asia by 2030.
As clubs faced financial problems, the foreign stars departed and the league started to struggle. In terms of continental strength, there's still a long way to go. A 1-0 loss to Saudi Arabia last week was China’s fifth in seven games in the third round of Asian qualification, where it is in last place in Group C.
Only the top two teams in each of the three Asian qualifying groups will progress to the World Cup automatically. Japan secured the first of those direct World Cup spots with a 2-0 win last week over Bahrain lifting it to 19 points, nine ahead of second-place Australia and 10 clear of the third-place Saudis.
Bahrain, Indonesia and China are on six points.
After this week, there's only two more match days in June to determine the standings.
“We played well against Saudi Arabia but now we have to focus on the next game,” said Ivankovic, who will be without the injured Jiang Guangtai and Gao Zhunyi and Lin Liangming, sent off in Riyadh. “We will assess who is fit and then give our all to win."
The 2002 edition co-hosted by South Korea and Japan remains China's only appearance at the World Cup finals. But even if it loses to Australia, all is not lost for China as Asia now has eight guaranteed places at the expanded 48-team World Cup tournament. The third- and fourth-place finishers in each group this round will go into another stage to compete for two spots in the tournament co-hosted by Canada, the US and Mexico.
Australia's Socceroos have grown in confidence following last week's 5-1 win over Indonesia in Sydney.
“It’s full focus on China,” Australia coach Tony Popovic said. “They haven’t changed too much in how they’ve been playing, whether it’s home or away. They sit in their block. They’re very dangerous on the break. And we just have to be prepared.”
Patrick Kluivert is already under pressure as Indonesia head coach after that thrashing in his first game in charge, and needs a win against Bahrain in Jakarta to stay in touch.
“The positive is that we kept on going and the spirit of the team will always be there,” said Kluivert, who was appointed in January. “We will react absolutely against Bahrain.”
Iran can qualify for a seventh World Cup if it avoids a loss to Uzbekistan at Tehran. Iran has 19 points from seven games, three clear of its opponent. Uzbekistan can secure its first World Cup place if it gets a combination of results including a win over Iran and both the United Arab Emirates and Qatar failing to beat North Korea and Kyrgyzstan in other games.
Group B calculations South Korea was disappointed to 1-1 draw with Oman at home last week when a win would have given it more cushion as it pushes for an 11th successive World Cup spot.
The South Koreans on 15 are three points clear of second-place Jordan ahead of the meeting between those teams at Suwon, just south of Seoul. Third-place Iraq faces the Palestinian team in Amman and Kuwait hosts Oman.
