On July 18, the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar Final Round (18-team format) is scheduled for September, according to reports by Tianjin’s Daily New Paper. The national team head coach returned to Beijing on the 13th and will visit the Dalian Cuttlefish Bay Stadium, the venue for China’s first home game of the 18-team qualifiers, this week. Ivan himself hopes to secure a victory over Saudi Arabia at home.
The Chinese Super League (CSL) officially rescheduled the originally planned 24th round matches to be played between the 20th and 22nd of this month, and the fifth round of the FA Cup was set for the 15th to 17th, all to ensure ample preparation time for the national team ahead of the 18-team qualifiers.
It is reported that last week’s China League One (CLO) match between Dalian Ying and Suzhou Dongwu, held at the Cuttlefish Bay Stadium, attracted a crowd exceeding 54,000 spectators, setting a new record for the highest attendance in CLO history. In reality, this match served as a test event for China’s first home game. Upon hearing the news, Ivan was delighted and hopes to harness the home advantage to defeat Saudi Arabia. As part of his preparations, Ivan will also tour various CSL venues with his coaching staff to assess the condition of national team players, identify new talents, and finalize the preliminary squad list for the World Cup qualifiers.
The Daily New Paper noted that preparations for the two games in September could begin as early as August 18. The sixth round of the FA Cup is scheduled from August 20 to 22, and the national team players should all be present by August 23. The team’s preparation can be divided into three phases: initially focusing on physical adjustment and recovery for the players; followed by intense training sessions, including group confrontations, with the possibility of arranging an internal friendly match against a professional club; and gradually reducing the training intensity a few days before the match.
China’s schedule for the September World Cup qualifiers:
September 5, 18:35 Japan vs. China
September 10, Time TBC China vs. Saudi Arabia