China coach Li vows to go all out to beat Oman in WC qualifier

SHARJAH, UAE - China coach Li Tie on Wednesday vowed to go all out to beat Oman in the FIFA World Cup qualifier here on Thursday as Team China has to win to keep its faint dream alive.

In the six-team Group B, China now rank fifth with three points from four games, while Oman sit third with six points. The top two will qualify directly and the third finisher goes into playoffs.

"According to the current group table, if we want to qualify for Qatar 2022, we must try all means to beat our opponent tomorrow," Li told the pre-match press conference.

"Oman showed their quality in the previous matches, but we have made good preparations for the game and set some targeted tactics. I hope that my players could carry out the plan well," Li noted.

The Chinese coach also revealed that all his 27 players are ready for the match. "They are all healthy and I am satisfied with their physical conditions. All my players have strong determination to play. No matter starters or substitutes, they will go all out for the victory."

According to the Chinese Football Association, the local authority will allow no more than 6,000 spectators to watch Thursday's match on scene.

"Allowing fans to enter the stadium is important for the team because the players' job is to play for Chinese fans. The fans' support will make players excited. I know many fans will watch the match in China, I hope all my players could show their best," Li said.

Oman head coach Branko Ivankovic also expressed his desire to win the match. "When we step on the field, we want to beat any team in the group and qualify for the World Cup. I have full respect to the Chinese team, Chinese players are technically excellent and they have four naturalized players such as Ai Kesen and Alan," he said.

In addition, the Croatian revealed that three key players, captain Mohammed Musalami, forward Muhsen Ghassani and right back Abdul Gheilani, couldn't play due to injury.

"The game will be very hard, my players will give anything they have. Most important is to enjoy football and make people in Oman happy," he noted.