Chinese coach Li Tie disappointed after 1-1 draw with Oman all but ends World Cup qualifying hopes
- Wu Lei scored in first half but Oman equalised with 15 minutes left
- China remain in fifth place out of six teams and will play Australia on Tuesday
China manager Li Tie was left disappointed after his side could only manage a 1-1 draw with Oman in their 2022 World Cup qualifier on Thursday in Sharjah.
Li’s side led for most of the Asian group B final round match, before a late Amjad Al Harthi strike cancelled out Wu Lei’s first-half opener.
Playing their “home” match in the UAE because of coronavirus restrictions at home, Lei put his side ahead midway through the first half after slotting home a Zhu Chenjie pass.
But Al Harthi’s 75th-minute equaliser following a corner means China’s hopes of qualifying for the 2022 tournament in Qatar are now slim, despite their being five matches still play.
“We should have won the game,” Li said. “We played the game well with strong determination to win, this is very disappointing.”
“After going into the lead, we should have killed off the opponents with a couple of chances. But this is how football works. We scored from a corner kick and then conceded one goal in the corner kick. The two sides are very close indeed and a 1-all draw is also a fair result.
“The players came here with a strong belief and were let down by the result, same as me. But we have to move forward.”
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Li also explained why he replaced naturalised striker Luo Guofu soon after the break. The former Brazilian, who obtained his Chinese nationality last year, scored his first goal for China in their last qualifying match against Saudi Arabia.
Many Chinese fans had praised the Guangzhou FC striker’s performance in a game in which he appeared in the starting line-up for the first time.
“It was normal substitution and was made according to the situation to adjust the team,” Li said. “We felt Luo’s work rate dropped after playing 60 more minutes and could not defend well on the flank.
“At that time, the opponents pushed hard for the equaliser and we needed to strengthen our midfield control and that’s why we made the substitution.”
The draw left China in fifth place with four points, nine behind leaders Saudi Arabia, who played out a goalless encounter with Australia in the day’s early game.
For the Chinese, the Oman clash was one they could not afford to lose; doing so would have left them relying on other results to qualify.
China’s World Cup home games moved to UAE
Branko Ivankovic, the Oman head coach, said he was satisfied to get a point from what he called a tough game.
“My players didn’t lose faith and were very focused when we were 1-0 behind,” he said. “We deserved the equaliser and the result is acceptable for us. The Chinese team played very well and they have good players, but this is football.”
China’s next game is in Sharjah on Tuesday, when they face Australia.
“The Australians are a strong opponent and we have to do our best to fight for a victory,” Li said. “After five games, we saw the gap between us and those best Asian teams, but it doesn’t mean that we have no chance at all. We must go all out and leave no regrets on the pitch.”
In another match, Japan beat bottom side Vietnam 1-0 to go third on nine points. Oman were left in fourth, on seven points.
