Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Head coach Alain Perrin believes China are not one of the favourites to win the AFC Asian Cup, but has stressed that his players will ‘give the best they can’ when the continent’s premier tournament gets underway in January.
China struggled during the competition’s qualifiers, and only secured a spot in Australia after they finished as the best third-placed team ahead of Lebanon on goal difference.
The mood in the Chinese has however been lifted of late thanks to an impressive nine-match unbeaten run, a sequence of positive results which they will seek to extend in a friendly clash with Oman on January 5 before beginning their Group B campaign against Saudi Arabia five days later.
Despite their fine recent form, Perrin nevertheless feels his charges will not start their AFC Asian Cup campaign as one of the frontrunners.
"We (China) are not the favourites, we do not have the best chance," the Frenchman told AFP.
"What I know is that the players are ready to give the best they can."
China have appeared at every AFC Asian Cup since 1976, and were runners-up in 1984 and 2004 when they hosted the event.
While Perrin would undoubtedly settle for a repeat of those heroics Down Under, the former Lyon coach is, for now, merely focusing on progressing from a difficult group that besides three-time winners Saudi Arabia, also includes Uzbekistan and DPR Korea.
"I hope that the efforts the players made during these few months of preparation, and the team spirit of that group, will allow us to get past the first round," Perrin concluded.