HANOI, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- China's national football team head coach Li Xiaopeng has urged his players to go all out to beat Vietnam in their upcoming FIFA World Cup Asian Zone qualifier here on Tuesday, which also falls on Lunar New Year's Day.
"I hope my players can stay focused and go all out tomorrow, we want to beat Vietnam to celebrate the most important Chinese festival for all our fans," Li said at the pre-match press conference on Monday.
With only five points from seven games, China ranks fifth of six teams in Group B and only has a slim chance of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, while bottom side Vietnam is already eliminated after losing all seven matches in Group B so far.
"Every international game is important. We won't think too much about the points and will focus on how to win the match," Li said, who also revealed star forward Wu Lei is now in good form. "Wu has scored many goals in recent training sessions. I hope he can score tomorrow."
The Chinese New Year is also an important holiday in Vietnam. "The performances of the Vietnamese team in the qualifiers are highly respectful. They play very quick football and have good ball control. I hope both teams can play a good match for the fans and I wish all Vietnamese people a happy new year," Li noted.
In the press conference, Li also confirmed that naturalized striker Luo Guofu, who was suspended for China's 2-0 defeat to Japan last Thursday, will start tomorrow's game.
"I am very happy to represent China again. Tomorrow is a big day for our country. I will try my best in every minute on the pitch," Luo said.
Tuesday's clash is also an important match for Vietnam, as the team hopes to restore some pride and end its losing streak in the final round of Asian qualifiers.
"This is the first time for Vietnam to reach the final round of World Cup Asian qualifiers. Our team now is in a very difficult period after losing seven consecutive matches. We know that everybody in Vietnam is expecting us to win tomorrow, so we will try our best," said Vietnam head coach Park Hang-seo. ■
