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Pressure mounts on China and Australia's coaches
The Straits Times
|September 12, 2024
China coach Branko Ivankovic was under pressure on Sept 11 to quit after less than seven months in the job, with the team's hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup in danger.
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China are bottom of Group C in the third round of Asian qualifying following two defeats in as many games, the latest a 2-1 home loss to Saudi Arabia on Sept 10.
The Saudis played much of the game in Dalian with 10 men following the 19th-minute dismissal of Mohamed Kanno, but they were the better side in the second half and scored the winner at the death through Hassan Kadesh.
Boos rang around the stadium at the final whistle, with Croatian coach Ivankovic the target of much of the fans' anger.
On the social media platform Weibo, the hashtags "Chinese football. No hope" and "Ivankovic step down" began trending within minutes.
Since being appointed in February, Ivankovic has won one of his six games in charge - against Singapore drawing two and losing the other three. Asked about his future afterwards, the 70-year-old said: "The question shouldn't be directed at me."
This story is from the September 12, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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