In addition, Coach Ivan's guidelines regarding staffing in the 18-team tournament have surfaced. After returning home, he has continued to pay close attention to the Chinese Super League and closely tracked the performance of the national team players. It is reported that Ivan intends to explore more potential stars in the Chinese Super League, such as Baihe Lamu and Xie Wenneng. He is eager for the national team to absorb more young forces, thus effectively lowering the average age level of the Chinese team.
However, the use of young players by Chinese Super League teams has not lived up to expectations. Take Bhairaki for example, he was not a core player in the relegation team Shenzhen and even failed to score in the league. But Ivan had the foresight to include him in the national team, and he contributed a key goal against Thailand. This fully demonstrates Ivan's extraordinary insight and keen observation ability.
Many young players have been particularly impressive in recent AFC Cup matches. For example, in Taishan's 6-3 win over Chongqing Tongliang Dragons, Tongliang Dragons' 20-year-old striker Xiang Yuwang served as the field captain and demonstrated outstanding strength. He has made 13 appearances this season, scoring eight goals and adding two assists. In addition, Taishan's 23-year-old midfielder Abdul Meat Suli was also outstanding as he scored a goal after coming on as a substitute. If Coach Ivan pays attention to this game, he may include these two players in the national team selection list.
