China’s ambitions of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup took another blow after a 2-1 defeat against 10-man Saudi Arabia in Dalian on Tuesday. This follows their 7-0 loss to Japan just a week earlier.
China initially went ahead in the 14th minute when Saudi defender Ali Lajami accidentally scored an own goal. Shortly after, Saudi midfielder Mohamed Kanno was sent off, giving China a numerical advantage. However, they failed to capitalize on this opportunity.
Saudi Arabia, coached by former Manchester City and Italy manager Roberto Mancini, managed to equalize just before halftime when Hassan Kadish headed in from a corner. Kadish scored again in the final minute, once more from a corner, securing a dramatic win for the visitors.
Despite having an extra man, China struggled to create meaningful chances. They thought they had retaken the lead when Wang Shangyuan bundled the ball into the net from a corner, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Meanwhile, Saudi winger Salem Al-Dawsari nearly scored, but his effort hit the crossbar.
The final whistle was met with boos from Chinese fans, frustrated with manager Branko Ivankovic. “There are three very strong teams in our group—Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia,” Ivankovic remarked post-match. “But we still have hope with eight games left.”
The defeat led to social media outrage, with hashtags like “Chinese football. No hope” and “Ivankovic step down” trending on Weibo.
China’s football woes are further compounded by recent scandals, with the Chinese Football Association issuing lifetime bans to 43 individuals over gambling and match-fixing allegations. The association itself is also under investigation, with several top officials implicated in corruption probes.
China, which has only qualified for the World Cup once in 2002, currently sits at the bottom of Group C, with only the top two teams securing a spot at the 2026 tournament in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
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