The team's head coach, Aleksandar Jankovic, stepped down in disgrace after the Asian Cup group stage collapse, and was replaced by the highly regarded Croatian coach, Ivan Govic. In his first lineup for this month's World Cup qualifier, he boldly used naturalized players, including 35-year-old striker Ekerson, who made an unexpected return. Ai Yun high domain bluntly said, even if Aixen physical strength is limited, 5 minutes of performance can decide the victory or defeat.
While naturalized players rarely got a chance to play during Jankovic's years at the helm, Ayun Highwick did the opposite. Fresh from an injury, Ekson was quickly included in the roster. Facing two crucial upcoming matches, Singapore's tactics are in doubt. Ayun Gowick revealed, "Ekerson may only last 90 minutes, but for him, even a 5 or 10 minute appearance can have a positive effect on the team, which is crucial for Chinese soccer."
Along with Eckerson, Fernando and Jiang Guangtai also made the cut without incident. China, which currently has a record of 1 win and 1 loss in Group C, will face Singapore on the road this Thursday (21st), before returning home for a rematch next Tuesday (26th).
