With the dawn of November 20, a new week kicks off under the light of the Green Stadium. The focus of the week will undoubtedly be on two high-profile matches: the national soccer team will host South Korea in the preliminaries, and Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Shenhua will battle it out for the title in the AFC Cup. It is predicted that CCTV Sports Channel (CCTV5) will broadcast these two exciting matches live.
On Tuesday, November 21, China will face South Korea in the second round of Group C of the 2026 U.S.-Canada-Mexico FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifying Tournament at the Universiade Center Stadium in Longgang, Shenzhen. Although it is not explicitly mentioned in CCTV5's latest program schedule, it is customary that the program is usually adjusted the night before the match, so it is highly likely that CCTV5 will broadcast the China-Korea battle live.
Looking back at the first round of matches, South Korea thrashed Singapore 5-0 at home, with five of their players, including Son Heung-miao and Lee Gang-in, contributing to the win. China, on the other hand, turned back Thailand 2-1 on the road with goals from Wu Lei and Wang Shangyuan. This encounter is crucial to the competition between the two teams for the top spot in the rankings and the group's exit situation. It would be a great victory for China if they can continue their good form against Thailand on the road, even if it is just one point.
On November 19th, South Korea flew into Shenzhen with one goal in mind: to get all three points. The Chinese team is expected to focus on defense, which will be a test of Korea's ability to break down dense defenses. It's worth noting that Korea didn't break the deadlock against Singapore in the first round, and it wasn't until the end of the first half that they capitalized on their opponents' mistakes, with Cho Kyu-sung breaking the deadlock. Korea must be prepared to face China's stronger defense.
After the preliminaries, the 2023 CFA Cup final will be played at the Suzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium on Saturday, November 25, at 4:00pm. Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Shenhua will face off in the final, which will be broadcast live on CCTV5 from 4pm.
Both teams are eager to lift the trophy. Shandong Taishan, the defending champions, are striving for a fourth consecutive title, as evidenced by their arrival in Suzhou six days ahead of schedule. Shanghai Shenhua, after missing out on the AFC Champions League in the Chinese Super League, see the AFC Cup as their only hope, and coach Wu Jingui and his disciples will be going all out.
It's worth noting that Shanghai Shenhua last won the AFC Cup in 2019, when it beat Shandong Taishan. And then the coach Cui Kangxi is now coaching Shandong Taishan. Against this backdrop, whether Shanghai Shenhua can revisit their old dream has become the focus of attention.
