Team China head coach vows players won't lack fighting spirit as latest World Cup qualification campaign kicks off

Twenty-one years since Team China's sole appearance at the World Cup, the national squad kicks off its latest round of qualifiers vowing to "do everything" it can to prove the doubters wrong and reach the 2026 finals.

Results in recent years offer little hope of a turnaround, however, Team China head coach Aleksandar Jankovic insists he and the players begin their mission with renewed resolve.

"We are all pushing in the same direction, which is very important. We have players who are ready to sacrifice themselves for the team. As a coach, I feel privileged and honored to work in these kinds of circumstances," Jankovic told Xinhua ahead of Thursday's Group C opener against Thailand.

"So I'm confident even more than months ago. We are all part of the process. And we will do everything to improve. And we need games. To know if we are better or not, we can only get the answer from the field.

"Once we start the competition and once we start winning games, it will show the whole country that Chinese football is making progress. And we are doing everything we can to show this to China."

The second round of Asian zone qualification features nine groups of four teams, taking each other on in a home-and-away, round-robin format until June next year.

Team China will start its Group C campaign against Thailand on Thursday in Bangkok, before a mightily tough assignment against South Korea on Nov 21 in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The Chinese squad will then resume its campaign against Singapore in March.

The top two finishers in each group will advance to the third round of FIFA World Cup qualifying, and at the same time book their places at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027. Of the 48 berths on offer at the 23rd FIFA World Cup, to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, eight and a half have been allocated for the Asian zone.

Team China's squad for the Thailand game includes former La Liga player Wu Lei as well as a number of young guns who have earned their chance to shine.

"For me, I don't consider them as young players. I don't differentiate between the younger and older players. They all have the same target and are all pushing in the same direction. They have to show big respect for the chance they have," Jankovic said.

"Of course, we don't put them in the national team just because they are young. I will tell you honestly, I don't think they are as young as they are — 23 or 24 years old. Even the games against South Korea, for example, you'll face players who are younger than them. So we have to stop thinking of them as young players. They are players in their prime."

On Sunday, newly installed Chinese Football Association president Song Kai paid a visit to Team China's training camp in Shenzhen. Song reportedly urged the players to "show the spirit of Chinese soccer "in the forthcoming qualifiers, and expressed the CFA's support for the team.

With the pressure to start the campaign on a winning note, Jankovic said he and his coaching team are well-prepared for their rivals after studying them closely.

"My full focus is on the first game against Thailand, and the goal will never change — that is to win. Sometimes you have to adjust the way of playing, but the target and the mindset must always be to go for it," Jankovic added.

"I watched all their games, and we know everything about them, including their tactical options...But we will stick to our own values, our own way of playing and let the opponent think about how they can counter us."

While a positive result for China against Thailand is a distinct possibility, getting any points from the South Korea game will be a much tougher task.

Spearheaded by one of the world's best strikers, Son Heung-min of Tottenham, the South Korea squad is packed full of players who are excelling in Europe's top leagues.

"We will be facing a world-class team. South Korea is a top team, not only in terms of Asian football, but in terms of world football, in terms of individual quality, team stability and confidence. That's the big challenge for us," said Jankovic.

New Team China captain Wu urged his teammates to always believe victory is possible.

"This is the first time I've captained the national squad, and I'm thankful to the coach and my teammates for trusting in me," said the 31-year-old Wu, who played for two and a half seasons in Spain with Espanyol and has been a core player for China in recent years.

"This is a great responsibility. It's a tipping point for Team China, so I want to help the younger players as much as possible.

"Every time, we have the same goal of reaching the World Cup finals. This is the common goal for us all.

"Our overall strength has declined. But just because we have no obvious advantages does not mean we should simply give up and lose all our confidence. We need to play each match well and try our best to win."

That sentiment was shared by coach Jankovic.

"As I always say, we will always play to win," said the Serbian. "We have to show an excellent mentality. We have to show desire to win and fight together. And then we can hope we can make a good result."

shifutian@chinadaily.com.cn