Asian upstarts give Chinese fans hope

"After the Japanese team defeated Argentina, everyone congratulated me for the win, as they thought I was a Japanese fan. I watched the match at a fan plaza where fans from all over the world gathered, but there were not many East Asian faces," said Lin Jianxiao, a Chinese internet celebrity who has traveled to Qatar for the World Cup. His vlog of people mistaking him for a Japanese fan went viral on Chinese social media.

"I repeatedly explained to other fans that I'm Chinese, not Japanese. They all congratulated me anyway. But I'm Chinese and our team is not here at the World Cup. It's pretty sad actually. Japan won the game through their perseverance and their strength. They deserve our respect. And for Team China, please keep fighting," Lin added.

Team China's hopes of reaching the finals in Qatar fell apart in the final phase of Asian zone qualifying.

After a series of disappointing defeats and controversies on and off the pitch, Li Tie resigned as head coach. It was announced on Saturday that Li Tie is under investigation for "suspected serious violations of discipline and law". In August, Wang Dengfeng, a former Chinese Football Association vice-president, was placed under investigation over similar allegations.

Li Xiaopeng was appointed as Li Tie's successor in December, but failed to find a quick fix, with most matches highlighting the widening gap between China and Asia's top teams.

"Japan has a good chance to reach the knockout stage at the World Cup. From the qualifiers we played, we can clearly see that Japan and South Korea are no longer at the same level of Team China," Chinese forward Wu Lei told media in a recent online interview.