Yesterday, China’s national football team coach Ivanković announced the squad list for the first two rounds of the 18-team qualifiers via live stream. Among the omissions was Chengdu Rongcheng’s forward Wei Shihao, who did not make it to the latest training roster for the national team. Football media figure Mickeytu Liu Shisì discussed the reasons behind Wei Shihao’s exclusion from the squad.
He stated: “Wei Shihao was suspended due to violent fouls, so he hasn’t been able to play in any matches over the past month, which has somewhat affected his form. This is a key reason for his omission from the national team’s World Cup qualifier squad. However, judging from his performance in the FA Cup quarterfinals upon his return, Wei Shihao still demonstrated a high level of skill. In the position of a winger, he can offer significant tactical value. His passing creativity and ability to take shots after winning second balls in the penalty area are still quite good. For the national team, Wei Shihao still holds great value. It’s just that the opponents in this World Cup qualifier are all strong teams, and the national team will definitely focus on defense, so not using him is understandable.”
Additionally, the media figure added: “I believe that when facing Indonesia and Bahrain later, the team should still use Wei Shihao. After all, there aren’t many players on the team with ball-carrying skills and the ability to push forward, and the head coach favors an attacking style. It’s always regrettable to easily give up on Wei Shihao.”