As the Qatar World Qualifying Asian 40 is in full swing, China welcomes its first challenger, Guam. The team embarked on a journey to Shanghai on May 23 to prepare for the upcoming match.
The Guam players departed from their hometown on May 20, first arriving in San Francisco, U.S., where they met with U.S.-based players before flying together to Shanghai. Upon arrival in Shanghai, they not only had to undergo a rigorous physical examination, but also went through a medical quarantine observation.
The match, originally scheduled for June 11, was moved forward to May 30 after discussions between the CFA and the Guam Football Association and the AFC. The Guam team hopes to arrive in China a week before the game to acclimatize to the local climate and field conditions.
It's worth noting that Team Guam's request is due to the lack of quality training grounds in their country. With only an artificial pasture within the National Training Center, the team hoped to find a better environment for preparation in China. Eventually, the CFA agreed to the request.
According to the regulations, members of the Guam team are required to comply with strict quarantine measures upon entry, including physical testing and isolation observation at the airport. After completing all the procedures, they will be sent directly to the Suzhou tournament to be stationed in the quarantine-proof red zone.
