Eriksson: Soccer faces ping-pong challenge

China has a long way to go, says ex-England boss

Chinese soccer could struggle to attract youngsters away from table tennis and badminton and needs a home-grown star playing in Europe before it really takes off, ex-England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson said.

President Xi Jinping has high ambitions for soccer's sleeping giant, including a rumored bid to hold the World Cup - a tournament which 82nd-ranked China has only reached once.