New coach Branko Ivankovic urges China to ‘play with passion’ in World Cup qualifiers against Singapore
- Ivankovic says men’s team must be adaptable to modern game as they face two crucial Group C matches
- China are second in group after a 2-1 win in Thailand and a 3-0 home defeat to South Korea. The top two in the group progress to the next phase
New China coach Branko Ivankovic said his men must “play with passion” as they embark on two crucial World Cup qualifiers against Singapore.
The Croat replaced Serbia’s Aleksandar Jankovic last month after China’s dismal Asian Cup where they failed to score a goal and went out in the group phase.
China have not reached the World Cup since their lone appearance in 2002, but back-to-back wins against Singapore, away on Thursday and in Tianjin on Tuesday, would put them in a strong position to progress from a group that also contains South Korea and Thailand.
“I always require my team to play with passion and attacking football,” said the 70-year-old Ivankovic, who takes charge of China for the first time.
“Modern football doesn’t restrict you to a certain formation and players have techniques and qualities to adapt their game. Basically, what they have to do is to just try to execute my football philosophy.”
China are second in Group C after a 2-1 win in Thailand and a 3-0 home defeat to South Korea. The top two in the group will progress to the next stage on the road to 2026.