With the task of leading the Chinese team to qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup, head coach Dejan Djurdjevic stressed the importance of coping with the pressure to achieve success at home AFC Asian Cup.
by sportswriters Xiao Shiyao, Gong Bing and Wang Haoming
SHENZHEN, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- With less than one month to go before the opening match of the 2025 AFC U20 Asian Cup in Shenzhen, in south China's Guangdong Province, Chinese men's U20 head coach Dejan Djurdjevic faces a tough challenge: guiding his team to qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup for the first time in two decades.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, the 57-year-old Serbian said his side is edging closer to that goal step by step, and these young players will do their utmost to cope with the pressure and defend their home ground.
ONE MONTH CAN CHANGE A LOT
China has been drawn in Group A alongside Australia, Qatar and Kyrgyzstan, opening their campaign against Qatar on February 12.
"I can't say whether it's a good draw or not. Qatar has invested heavily in youth football for years, and their Aspire Academy is among the best in the world. These Qatari players are now playing in Spain," Djurdjevic said. "The first game will always be difficult."
"We faced Australia and Kyrgyzstan in the Panda Cup (an international football tournament) in Chengdu last November. They are both good teams," he added.
"The Asian Cup will be completely different as I covered some things in the Panda Cup, maybe our opponents did the same. We have some information about them, and they have some information about us. But this is the past and means nothing," Djurdjevic noted.
"The most important thing is the next step. One month can change a lot, and we have 100 aspects we can improve. Our main goal for this period is to ensure good physical preparation and to play matches to repeat our tactics and fix problems," the coach said of their preparations over the past month.
GETTING CLOSER TO TARGET
Since Djurdjevic took charge in January 2024, China's U20 side has played 16 international friendlies, including 2-0 wins over South Korea and Iran, and a 1-1 draw with Australia, raising fans' hopes for a strong showing at the upcoming Asian Cup on home soil.
"I know people say this is the best China U20 team in recent years," Djurdjevic said. "But these players haven't won anything yet."
"These players born in 2005 have no official international match experience. Those born in 2006 competed at the AFC U17 Asian Cup in 2023 and were eliminated in the group stage," he explained.
"Of course, it's good that we have supporters. We feel that people love us and want to give us support. But it's a bit more pressure for the players," Djurdjevic admitted. "Some players have good qualities, but they can't play under pressure. Some players who don't show much in training can become real competitors in the match. As a coach, I need to teach these young players how to deal with that pressure."
To secure qualification for the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, China must finish in the top four at the Asian Cup.
"We are getting closer to the target step by step. If we do things the right way, I believe we have the quality to defend our home ground," Djurdjevic said. ■