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at 18:35 beijing time on september 5, china will play against japan in the first round of the asian qualifiers group c. on the afternoon of the 4th, chinese men's football coach ivankovic and player wu lei attended the pre-match press conference.

ivankovic said: "the chinese team is very honored to enter the top 18 and have the opportunity to play against the best team in asia. i have been following japanese football since the 1998 world cup. i hope our efforts will bear fruit."

"japan is the strongest team in asia and the world. they performed well in the last world cup, and many of their players play for european giants, proving their strength. a strong team like japan will definitely show its strength on the field. we will not be discouraged in advance, but we must fight this game with courage."

ivan confirmed that a 23-man roster has been submitted, but the team will make the most appropriate arrangements after the final training session. foreign media reporters asked ivan about his previous experience and secrets in defeating japan (he led croatia/iran/oman to defeat japan as an assistant coach and head coach). ivan said: "indeed, i have a lot of experience against japan. from our perspective, the key lies in whether the players can implement the training requirements tomorrow and show their passion for football. everything can happen on the football field, and we will play with a brave heart."

wu lei said: "i am very happy to come to japan. as a player, i am looking forward to tomorrow's game. psychologically, the team is in a good state. japan is very strong but we will not give up easily when we come here. through training and watching videos, we have a clear understanding of japan's playing style. i hope to play well in this game tomorrow. there are many newcomers in the team who are experiencing such an important game for the first time. i believe tomorrow will also be a valuable experience for them."

when asked by reporters what the difference is between preparing for the round of 18 and the round of 36, wu lei said: "the rhythm and level of the round of 18 and the round of 36 are different, and the competition is more intense. our training is centered around the first game against japan. we repeat and emphasize it every day in order to do well in this game. this is what we have been doing. past experience tells us that one point or one goal difference may be important, and we must learn from previous experiences and lessons."

according to previous media reports, based on the results of the pre-match joint meeting, the chinese national football team will wear white away uniforms to participate in the china-japan match on the 5th.

according to the requirements of fifa and afc, each participating team in the top 18 can register a maximum of 23 players for each game. judging from the recent preparations of the national football team, goalkeeper bao yaxiong, forward xie pengfei, cheng jin, and versatile midfielder huang zhengyu are likely to miss the game due to factors such as the relatively abundant reserve of players in the same position and the need for tactical arrangements.

[source: jiupai news comprehensive dongqiudi, live bar, beijing youth daily sports]