EAFF NEWS/COLUMN

Seoul: It wasn’t the result that China PR wanted from their final Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Group C match against Korea Republic but head coach Branko Ivankovic was relieved that their main goal was still achieved.

The 1-0 defeat made for a nervous wait with focus shifting to Thailand’s match against Singapore but the Southeast Asian side, needing to win by three clear goals, fell just short in a 3-1 victory, enabling China PR to seal a spot in the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers and a place at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Finals.

In a game that saw Korea Republic dominating, it was the defensive side of China PR’s game that came to the fore with Ivankovic admitting more work behind the scenes is needed to bring the team to another level. .....

The quest towards #FIFAWorldCup continues for these stellar 1️⃣8️⃣ sides! #AsianQualifiers pic.twitter.com/3PajDaAPRu
— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) June 11, 2024

＞＞READ MORE "AFC Official Site"

EAST ASIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION

NEWS / RELEASE

10MA TOPICS! [CHINA FA][AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS] Ivankovic: China PR must work hard to move up to next level

BACK NUMBER

NEWS / RELEASE

10MA TOPICS! [CHINA FA][AFC ASIAN QUALIFIERS] Ivankovic: China PR must work hard to move up to next level

RECOMMEND

BACK NUMBER