Qatar 2022: China’s World Cup home games moved to UAE

Li Tie’s side have not played at home since beating Guam in May, will face Australia and Oman in Sharjah

Qatar 2022 hopes hang by a thread as Chinese have one win and three losses from four games

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China's forward Wu Lei (No 7) celebrates after scoring during the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 Asian Qualifiers win over Vietnam, at the Sharjah Football Stadium in the UAE on October 7, 2021. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:12am, 2 Nov 2021Updated: 10:56pm, 2 Nov 2021

China’s threadbare hopes of qualifying for next year’s Fifa World Cup took another dent as the Chinese Football Association confirmed that their must-win home games against Australia and Oman this month would be played in the UAE.

“After negotiating with all parties and submitting to the AFC for approval, the final stage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup Asian Qualifiers group B matches between the Chinese team and the Oman team and the sixth round between the Chinese team and the Australian team will be held on November 11 November 16 in Sharjah, UAE,” the CFA wrote in a statement on their website that was also posted to their Weibo.

The kick-off time will be announced after confirmation, they continued, though previous kick-off times in the region have been in the middle of the night for Chinese fans back home, as head coach Li Tie noted after their loss to Saudi Arabia in the last match.

“We want to play every game of the national team as the last game of our lives. We have to be worthy of the fans, especially the fans who stay up late to watch football,” Li said after the 3-2 defeat last month.

China’s players had been based outside the country for 48 days before returning home after defeat to the Saudis but they will soon leave again.

“The Chinese national men’s football team will set off in the early morning of November 7, Beijing time, and will go to Sharjah, UAE again, to make every effort to complete preparations and match tasks,” the CFA statement concluded.

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