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Lippi gets down to work in China
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MARCELLO Lippi starts mission almost-impossible today as he bids to take China to the 2018 World Cup.
Lippi, who guided Italy to the 2006 World Cup title, was appointed last month to try and resuscitate China’s floundering qualification campaign. He kicks off against Qatar in Kunming, southwestern Yunnan Province.
China, which has qualified only once for a World Cup, has just one point from the first four games in Group A of third-round Asian qualifying, making victory against Qatar vital. “We will focus on first dealing with the Qataris and then South Korea,” Lippi was quoted as saying on the Asian Football Confederation’s website. “Our chief aim is World Cup qualification. I hope we can achieve a miracle.”
Lippi has experience in China. From 2012 to 2014, he led Guangzhou Evergrande to three Chinese Super League titles as well as the AFC Champions League crown in 2013. In a warm-up game against a lower-league Chinese team last week, Lippi selected five players from his former club, indicating a strong reliance on the team which picked up a sixth successive domestic championship in October.
“These are the players who have spent years training and playing together so they have telegraphic understanding with each other,” the former Juventus coach said. “This is the key for us to play well against Qatar.”
The 68 year-old Lippi’s contract is not just about the World Cup, but helping the sport thrive in China in the longer term. “Even if we fail to make it, we should make sure that the team makes good progress in the process and build for the future,” he said. “Then we will switch our focus to the next Asian Cup.”
Qatar, host of the 2022 World Cup, has also started poorly with three points from the first four games. A 2-1 win over 2018 host Russia in a friendly last week will boost confidence for the Qataris.
With only the top two from both six-team groups automatically progressing to Russia 2018, Japan is third in Group B, heightening the importance of a win against group leader Saudi Arabia.
Japan has appeared at the past five World Cups but some shaky performances under coach Vahid Halilhodzic have jeopardized a continuation of that streak.
If Saudi Arabia does slip up in Japan, Australia could go top of Group B with a win in Thailand, where a ban on cheering during mourning for King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been relaxed.
In Group A, South Korea can leapfrog Uzbekistan into second if it beats the Uzbeks in Seoul, while war-torn Syria hosts table-topper Iran in Paroi, Malaysia.
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