China's national football team coach Shao Jiyai has requested his players to recall their match against Maldives from 25 years ago, and asks them to not take Maldives lightly and to respect their competitor.
Maldives and China will be playing an international friendly match today. The match will be played at Chongqing Longxing Football Stadium, China at 4:35 pm local time. According to the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), Public Service Media's (PSM) YES TV will be broadcasting the match live.
During yesterday's pre-match press conference, Shao Jiyai recalled his memory as a player in a match against Maldives 25 years ago. The World Cup Qualifier match was played in April 2001 at Galolhu Stadium, Male'. After highlighting his involvement in the match, Shao Jiyai said they cannot afford to view Maldives as a weak team and take it easy.
The 2001 World Cup Qualifier match for the chance to play in the 2002 World Cup at South Korea and Japan saw Maldives suffer defeat at the hands of China with a score of 10-1. Maldives lost the second leg match played at the Galolhu Stadium with a 1-0 score. Maldives managed to hold off China from scoring in the first half.
"I still remember the match played against Maldives 25 years ago. The first half of the match ended with a 0-0 draw. We won the match 1-0 with great difficulty," said former midfielder Shao Jiyai at the press conference, which was reported by Chinese media.
"I recalled those memories to the players as we prepare for this match. We need to step onto the field in a serious manner."
China did not have any plans previously to play a match against Maldives. The initial plan was to play against a strong team such as Uzbekistan.
Arrangements to play against Maldives were made a week ago. China will also be playing against New Zealand during the international window. The match will take place on Sunday.
Shao Jiyai said he had to make changes to team preparations when playing against a low-ranking team such as Maldives instead of a strong team. However, he said it is something that may happen in professional football.
"We need to accept this situation, take the initiative and move forward," said the China team coach.
"Even though Maldives may not seem like a strong team, even if the opposing team may not be top quality, we will not be able to get a decent result if we do not work hard without putting in serious thought, preparation and respect against the opponent."
Chinese media said China's national team will see many youth players get their first opportunity to play in the senior team against Maldives.
The Chinese national football team began preparations for the match on 12th September at Wuhan.
China's U-23 national team is currently competing in the 2026 Asian Games. The match they played against the United Arab Emirates yesterday resulted in a draw. Their match against Iran on Sunday resulted in a draw as well. However, their first match in the sporting event against North Korea resulted in a 2-1 win for China. The China U-23 national team has secured their position in the quarter finals.
