On the 14th, the top 18 of the 2026 World Cup Asian Qualifiers will begin the fifth round. At 22:00 Beijing time, the Chinese men’s football team coached by Ivankovic will challenge the Bahrain team ranked fourth in Group C away from home. The importance of this game to the Chine

html On the 314th, the top 18 of the 2026 World Cup Asian Qualifiers will begin the fifth round. At 22:00 Beijing time, the Chinese men’s football team coached by Ivankovic will challenge the Bahrain team ranked fourth in Group C away from home. The importance of this game to the Chinese men's football team is self-evident: the result of the game will not only determine the team's ranking in the top 18, but also determine whether the team can successfully achieve the top four goals in the group, and even Whether it will advance to the 2026 World Cup finals or not will pave the way. It is precisely for this reason that this game has attracted a lot of attention. The media and fans are looking forward to the national football team's turnaround in Bahrain, getting rid of the bottom of the group with one win, and entering the top 4 with one win and a half.

After the battle between Thailand and China, the national football team was winless in away games for 363 days.

html played an away game against Bahrain on the 14th and a home game against Japan on the 19th. After the two games, the Chinese men's football team will end its entire journey in 2024.

In the past 10 months, for the Chinese men's football team, although there was the joy of escaping from the top 36, it was more often the sadness of not being able to compete. In the past 10 and a half months, the Chinese men's football team has played 11 official games and only achieved 2 wins. Since Ivankovic took over the team in February, he has only won 2 games in 8 games, and the team's overall performance is unsatisfactory. The only thing that is slightly gratifying is that the team defeated Indonesia 2:1 at home on October 15. Although the team is still ranked at the bottom of Group C, the hope of the 2026 World Cup is still there.

The away game against Bahrain on November 14th is another "watershed": a win will mean entering the top 4, and the hope will be greatly increased; a draw will drag down the opponent, and there is still hope to compete in the second half; a loss will narrow the gap with the main competitors. As big as 4 points, it will be even more difficult to enter the top 4 and participate in the next stage to compete for the remaining 2.5 2026 World Cup qualifying places. It is precisely for this reason that the Chinese Football Association attaches great importance to this game. The team's only goal is to score points. One point is acceptable, but three points is better.

Now, the only thing the national football team can rely on is the historical record. They have played 7 times with the Bahrain team, 3 wins, 4 draws, and no defeat. However, the 30-year unbeaten advantage has been worn away with the passage of time - the two teams have not played against each other for 6 years. Bahrain is no longer Wu Xia Amon, and the national football team is at a low ebb. Wu Lei , Feinan Many players were absent due to injuries, and the team's problem of weak forwards was further highlighted. At the same time, the team's lack of away games is very serious. In 2024, it is difficult for the team to win away games. The most recent game was a 2:1 away victory over Thailand on November 16, 2023. This was also the result of former national football coach Yanko The only commendable game under Vic's leadership.

After the 70-year-old Ivan's desperate counterattack

led the team to a 2:1 home victory over Indonesia, Ivankovic successfully retained his position. But the warning bell of "getting out of class" is still ringing, and the team's performance in the two games in November will determine the direction of his coaching position.

It is precisely because of this that even though Wu Lei left the team early due to a serious knee injury and Fernando also missed the game with Bahrain, Ivankovic's goal of scoring away points has not changed. It is reported that the team will most likely continue the 4312 formation for the home game against Indonesia. Zhang Yuning and Baihe Lamu , who scored in the last round, will partner on the striker. Wang Shangyuan said in an interview: "The top 18 is a long journey. Every game is brand new. Everyone will go all out for the game against Bahrain." Chengdu Chengdu Chengdu player Wei Shihao said, "Victory against the Indonesian team After that, everyone became more confident and more courageous to win the next game. In the game against Bahrain, whether at home or away, we have to score points to ensure that we qualify." The idea is also Ivankovic's only choice. With the two games being played five days apart, he already knew which was easier and which was more difficult.At the pre-match press conference on the evening of the 13th, he said: "We came here with ambition. We went all out to prepare for this game. We hope that the players will perform well on the field and reflect the performance of the previous victory over the Indonesian team. The technical and tactical level, morale and confidence shown. I believe the players are ready!"

Everyone is looking forward to the national football team's triumphant performance tonight. But the game must be based on reality. After all, the reality of the team is that it is in a difficult period. In addition to Wu Lei and Fernando missing due to injuries, the right back Micro Motion AFC Champions League was injured and did not go to Bahrain, plus the center back Jiang Guangtai is still recovering, Xie Wenneng has accumulated yellow cards and is suspended, and a series of unfavorable factors. If the national football team wants to achieve good results in the game with Bahrain, the first task is to tighten the fence and not lose the ball. Sun Tzu's Art of War says: "As a general, you must consider defeat before thinking about victory, so you can fight a hundred battles without danger." In the ever-changing game, Ivankovic must make timely adjustments to tactics and personnel according to the situation on the field, so that he can defeat Bahrain from all sides. Retreat to achieve the goal of scoring points.

Special reminder: Bahrain vs China 22:00

Chengdu Daily Jinguan News Reporter Hu Ruikai Pictures Xinhua News Agency Editor-in-Chief Chang Lijuan Editor Wang Zhongjingyue