On June 29, the Asian Football Confederation officially announced the World Cup qualifying Asian Zone 12 draw ceremony specific date and the overall tournament arrangements. At the same time, our national team also synchronized to determine the preparation for the 12 strong match and training program.
According to an official announcement from the AFC, the draw for the Round of 12 will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 1 at 15:00, against the backdrop of China time. The tournament will be played on a home-and-away basis, with matches scheduled for Sept. 2, Sept. 7, Oct. 7, Oct. 12, Nov. 11, Nov. 16 in 2021, and Jan. 27, Feb. 1, March 24 and March 29 in 2022. A glimpse of the schedule shows that the 12-team tournament is roughly divided into three phases, with six rounds of matches focusing on September to November, two rounds of matches at the end of January and the beginning of February 2022, and the final two rounds of matches in March, with an average of two rounds of matches scheduled each month.
The country's national team has also announced the buildup time for its preparation for the Top 12 tournament, with the team expected to regroup around August 17 to prepare for the first six rounds of the Top 12 tournament, which will take place from September to November. It is worth noting that the players will dedicate themselves to team training and daily life for four months from late August to early December, taking into account the quarantine period.
As for the Chinese Super League, the number of rounds of matches may be reduced from the scheduled 30 to 22 as a result of the World Cup qualifiers. This means that the Super League will complete the first 14 rounds of matches before the start of the 12-team tournament, and the planned 15th to 22nd rounds of matches will be canceled, culminating in eight rounds of title and relegation battles after the first six rounds of matches in the 12-team tournament. This will allow the internationals to return to their clubs after completing their national team duties and make a final push for better results.
