China ready to rock Laos in World Cup qualifier

SHENZHEN - The Chinese national soccer team will play its first World Cup qualifying game against minnow Laos in Kunming, Yunnan province, on Saturday, but head coach Gao Hongbo will be sitting in the stands with the fans.

According to last month's FIFA world rankings, China is ranked No 75, while Laos sits near the bottom end of the table in 174h place. However, the absence of the coach from the sidelines could be of some concern for the host team.

The 45-year-old was sent off the field after antagonizing the referee in the team's last Asian Cup group game against Uzbekistan in Qatar in January, and was suspended for one international game by the Asian Football Confederation. Gao will return to the bench for the away game in Laos on July 28.