Chinese Football Fans Criticize Team’s Performance at AFC Asian Cup

Mainland Chinese football fans have expressed their disappointment with the performance of their national team at the AFC Asian Cup. After suffering a defeat against Qatar, fans at the stadium in Doha shouted negative remarks and ironically chanted “happy new year” towards China‘s players. Ahead of the country’s biggest annual holiday, the result pushed China down to third place in their group.

On social media platforms, there was a backlash against forward Wu Lei‘s argument that weaker teams in the tournament had improved. Several fans questioned which teams Wu was referring to, implying that China was considered the weakest team in the finals. One fan even suggested that Hong Kong‘s national team, ranked 150th in the Fifa world rankings compared to China’s 79th, could perform better if they represented the country.

China’s hopes of qualifying automatically for the knockout stage as the second-placed team in Group A were dashed with their loss against Qatar’s second string. Their lackluster performance in their first two matches, both goalless draws against Tajikistan and Lebanon, highlighted their deficiency in attacking abilities. Fans expressed their disappointment, and forward Wu acknowledged the need for improvement in various areas.

While some sports pundits called for a change in coaching staff and a reevaluation of the team’s approach, others pointed out the overall improvement in football across Asia. One pundit questioned whether China had hit rock bottom yet, highlighting the country’s regression in football.