New China manager Alain Perrin warns of changes after big scare
Frenchman sees hard work ahead after side just makes it into next year's Asian Cup finals as the best third-placed team in the qualifiers
New manager Alain Perrin warned China to expect changes and hard work ahead of next year's Asian Cup after they came perilously close to missing out on a place in the competition.
China had been expected to go through with ease in Wednesday night's final qualifiers but in the event, they needed a late penalty from Zhang Xizhe to scramble home on goal difference.
The 3-1 defeat by Iraq made for a chastening start for newly hired Perrin, whose team barely avoided missing out on the Asian Cup for the first time since the 1970s.
We must now work more and do some changes for a better future
China grabbed the final qualifying spot for the best third-placed team by a whisker as rivals Lebanon beat Thailand 5-2 to overcome a deficit of three points and finish just one goal behind on goal difference.
Perrin said China were so distracted by events elsewhere on a frenetic final night of qualifying that it was as if they were playing the match in Sharjah "with two souls".
"The first one was on the pitch and the second was outside it as we were monitoring the other results of the other matches in order to see if we can finish as the best third-placed team in the qualifiers, and this is what happened," said the Frenchman.
"Iraq controlled the first half and they scored two goals while we were the better side in the second period. We pulled a goal back and could have scored more. We must now work more and do some changes for a better future."