China’s men’s national football team made an unconvincing start to their 2019 AFC Asian Cup campaign, coming from behind to record a narrow 2-1 victory against footballing minnows Kyrgyzstan, who are playing in their first-ever Asian Cup as an independent nation.
China fell behind thanks to a Kyrgyzstan goal from Akhlidin Israilov in the 42nd minute, after being outplayed for much of the first half by a team who lie 91st in the FIFA World Rankings.
China came back into the game after halftime, however, when Kyrgyzstan goalkeeper Pavel Matiash palmed what seemed like a harmless corner kick into his own net in the 50th minute.
China continued to push for the winner and were rewarded in the 78th minute when Yu Dabao scored the deciding goal.
See the highlights of the match below (VPN off):
China came into the game having never lost or drawn a game against the Central Asian side. Indeed, this was the first time they had even conceded a goal against Kyrgyzstan.
The win did help to maintain an impressive streak in their opening games in the AFC Asian Cup, however, as they captured their fourth successive opening game victory, a run that stretches back to 2007.
China manager Marcello Lippi was noticably unhappy about his side's display after the game, telling reporters: “There were a few times when the team couldn’t play well in the first half and then, after I got angry and I pushed my players, I got the reaction I wanted from the first minute.”
In the other game in Group C, South Korea beat Philippines 1-0, and sit behind China in second place on goals scored.
China’s last outing in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup resulted in a quarter-final finish, when they lost to eventual winners Australia. While speculation about Lippi’s future as manager of the Chinese side has been rife in previous months, the former Juventus coach is hopeful of a more succesful outing this time around.
“In this kind of competition you always have a surprise team,” he said prior to the competition, “So we really can become the surprise of this tournament, because it’s now seven years that I have worked in China and I really want to give this big satisfaction to all the Chinese fans.”
The 2019 AFC Asian Cup kicked off on January 5 in United Arab Emirates, and will run until February 1. China’s next game will see them go up against a Philippines side who are currently ranked 116 in the world (readers in Shanghai can do a Philippines Quiz and then watch the game). That match will take place on January 11 at 9.30pm Beijing time, while Kyrgyzstan will face South Korea after that game with a midnight kick off.
[Cover image via Sina新闻体育]
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