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A storm of questions poured in during the frustrating duel.
China, led by coach Aleksandar Jankovic, drew 0-0 with Tajikistan in the first leg of their Qatar Asian Cup Group A match at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Nov. 13 (KST).
It was a shocking performance. China was heavily out-shot in the first half, 1-11.
The final shot count was 10-20.
Before the lid was lifted, China’s dominance was evident.
China is ranked 79th in the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
Tajikistan is ranked 106th.
In addition, China has a history of positive results at the Asian Cup.
Since their first appearance in 1976 in Iran, they have qualified for the knockout stage.
They reached the quarterfinals in the last edition in 2019.
They have consistently performed well at the Asian Cup, with two runner-up finishes (1984 and 2004), four quarterfinal finishes, and four quarterfinal appearances. 카지노사이트가이드
Their opponents, Tajikistan, are in the Asian Cup for the first time.
They were not allowed to compete until after the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Since then, they have missed out twice and failed to qualify six times.
The problem was atmosphere.
The team lost both of their mock tournaments leading up to the tournament.
They lost 0-2 to Oman and 1-2 to Hong Kong.
In the Hong Kong game, China lost a shocker after scoring the first goal.
Two players and a member of the coaching staff were sent off on the day.
China bowed to Hong Kong for the first time in 39 years in a turbulent atmosphere.
China lost to Hong Kong 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier in Beijing in 1985.
They also lost a penalty shootout in the 1995 Dynasty Cup third-place match, but the penalty shootout was officially recorded as a draw.
The stadium was alive with the “cha-ching” of Chinese fans.
But the ground conditions were not good.
China was outplayed by Tajikistan.
They never took the initiative.
The frustrating performance was met with angry shouts and boos.
China scored on a set piece in the last minute of the second half, but the video assistant referee (VAR) ruled it offside.
The goal was disallowed.
China finished the game scoreless, 0-0.
In the official post-match press conference, Jankovic was bombarded with questions.
More than 10 questions were asked.
It was a far cry from the previous press conference with Tajikistan coach Petar Shegrut.
The fans are no different.
According to Chinese media outlet Soho.com, fans said, “I hope they just lose this whole thing.
We have to start from scratch,” and “It was a frustrating game,” among other negative reactions.
China will play the second leg against Lebanon on Sunday.
The final match is against defending champions Qatar.
With just one point from the first game, China’s progression in the tournament depends on the outcome of the remaining matches.
