Current location:style >>
China draws with Singapore in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier
style1726People have gathered around
IntroductionPlayers of both teams greet each other after the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying football match betwe ...
Players of both teams greet each other after the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying football match between Singapore and China at the National Stadium in Singapore, March 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
China squandered a 2-0 lead to ultimately draw 2-2 with Singapore away in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers second stage in Singapore on Thursday.
Both teams changed head coaches recently. Before this game, China sat third in Group C with one victory and one defeat, while Singapore lost two consecutive matches.
China broke the deadlock in the 10th minute with a glancing header from veteran striker Wu Lei in the box following a cross from midfielder Wang Shangyuan.
In the 31st minute, Wu won a penalty for China, but his sloppy shot was saved by Singaporean goalkeeper Hassan Sunny.
China extended the lead to 2-0 in stoppage time of the first half as Wu netted in a rebound shot after a long-distance strike from attacking midfielder Xie Pengfei.
"I told my players at the halftime that 2-0 is dangerous. Sadly, we did not do well in the second half," China coach Branko Ivankovic told the post-match press conference.
The momentum of the match changed dramatically in the second half, with Faris Ramli pulled one goal back for the home team in the 53rd minute, after a Chinese defender deflected his shot, leaving goalkeeper Yan Junling hapless.
In the 81st minute, China captain and defender Zhang Linpeng missed a critical clearance and gave Singaporean substitute Jacob Mahler an open goal opportunity in the penalty area to score the equalizer.
"We should improve the efficiency to goal in the coming game and have a lot to correct. The team needs to do all the efforts to win the next game," Ivankovic said.
After the disappointing draw, China still ranks third in the group, trailing the group leader South Korea by three points and on par with Thailand but behind on goal difference.
In the other match of Group C on Thursday, South Korea was held by Thailand 1-1 at home.
China will play back-to-back match against Singapore at home in Tianjin next Tuesday.
Wu Lei told the media that his individual performance held no significance if the team failed.
"I don't care who scores the goals but winning the second match matters. That's all I'm thinking about," Wu noted.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“International Iterations news portal”。http://www.videocameralive.com/html-32d399650.html
Related articles
Elon Musk gets approval from FDA to implant his Neuralink brain chip into a second patient
styleElon Musk’s Neuralink has been given a green light to implant its brain chip in a second patient aft ...
【style】
Read moreFootball's ultimate big
styleRyan Reynolds might be a huge movie star, but even his busy shooting schedule hasn't stopped him fro ...
【style】
Read moreAston Villa 2
styleAston Villa will head to France next week with a slender advantage and 90 minutes away from a first ...
【style】
Read more
Popular articles
- Ship that caused Baltimore bridge collapse has been refloated
- Government needs to 'step up' and support rainbow community amid protest
- Aston Villa 2
- Thierry Henry blames Declan Rice for Bayern Munich's opener at the Emirates
- Minnesota Uber and Lyft driver pay package beats deadline to win approval in Legislature
- Premier League clubs vote unanimously for major new change to the offside rule
Latest articles
Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. to lead Indianapolis 500 field in Corvette pace car
The Masters faces a first
Scary Movie is back! Franchise will be rebooted 11 years after Scary Movie 5 was released
Man United are 'playing like a small club', blasts Roy Keane after their 2
Inquiry slams UK authorities for failures that killed thousands in infected blood scandal
Football's ultimate big
LINKS
- District Requires Infringements on Women's Rights, Interests Be Reported
- NW China's Internet Celebrity City Sees Tourism Boom During Qingming Holiday
- China urges US, Japan, Philippines to stop undermining regional peace, stability
- Foreign investors continue expansion in western China
- China's energy
- 1 dead, 4 wounded after shooting at Nashville restaurant in US
- SpaceX launches 23 more Starlink internet satellites into space
- Shanghai Women's Federation Prevents, Solves Family Disputes
- Mechanism Promotes Public Interest Litigation to Protect Women, Children's Rights, Interests
- Accelerated expansion of China's services industry in March: data