Defiant China coach will 'not run away from problems' at Asian Cup

English Woman's Journal - Defiant China coach will 'not run away from problems' at Asian Cup

SPORTS 16.01.2024

Defiant China coach will 'not run away from problems' at Asian Cup / Photo: KARIM JAAFAR - AFP

Aleksandar Jankovic will "not run away from problems", with the China coach under pressure to get their Asian Cup campaign back on track against Lebanon on Wednesday.

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Ranked 79 in the world by FIFA, China will be expected to beat a Lebanon side ranked 107th and beaten 3-0 by champions and hosts Qatar in the opening game of the tournament.

Jankovic's side were held 0-0 by Tajikistan in their opening game and were on the back foot at times against the tournament debutants, before having a late goal ruled out following an intervention by VAR.

There was a smattering of boos from the China fans at the final whistle.

Another failure to take all three points will leave China in danger of elimination, especially with Qatar their third and last game in Group A.

"As a coach this is a big challenge for me," the Serbian said on Tuesday, having acknowledged following the Tajikistan stalemate that his players had felt "stress".

"This is not a new topic for me, managing these kind of difficult moments."

"I will fight to solve it," he added.

"As a coach I have a way to run away from the problem... I will never run away.

"I strongly believe that we will get through that and hope to perform better, and be more precise, from the first minute tomorrow."

R.Wilson--EWJ

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English Woman's Journal - Defiant China coach will 'not run away from problems' at Asian Cup