Seoul: Korea Republic will begin their quest for a ninth consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance with the visit of China, whose sole World Cup finals experience remains the 2002 edition.
Potential Line-ups
Match Details
Date: 1 September 2016 (Thursday)
Kickoff time: 8pm KST, 12pm GMT
Venue: Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul
Referee: Mohammed Abdulla Hassan (United Arab Emirates)
Coach Quotes
Uli Stielike, Korea Republic
“We will look to put in a good performance tomorrow. Recently, there has been a lot of investment in Chinese football and we are looking forward to a good game. We have talked [with the 5 Chinese-based players] a lot. They see the Chinese players with their own eyes week in and week out and it is good luck for us to have five players there.
“While it is important to know how China will play, it is more important that we are ready. I know that we have a good record against China and I am happy if the fans have high expectations and we hope to be able to match that with our performance. We want to show what we can do.”
Gao Hongbo, China
“We are feeling good about the game tomorrow and we are ready to give our all and give a good performance. We may not be the strongest team but we have ability. This is just one of ten games so I am not just thinking about this game and whether or not we have to win. There is a long way to go and we have at our best throughout the campaign.
“This stage of qualification is difficult and there are not easy games. We want a good result and performance. The Chinese Super League is improving and the foreign talent helps the league develop but Chinese player have talent too. We are here to win and that is what we want. We want to go all the way to the World Cup.”
Head To Head Record
02/08/15 China 0-2 Korea Republic
24/07/13 Korea Republic 0-0 China
10/02/10 China 3-0 Korea Republic
17/02/08 China 2-3 Korea Republic
31/07/05 Korea Republic 1-1 China
Form
Korea Republic WWWLW
China DWWWL
Ones To Watch
Son Heung-min, Korea Republic
A year ago, Son Heung-min became the most expensive Asian player in football history after signing for Tottenham Hotspur for £22 million from Bayer Leverkusen. The exciting forward would go on to have a mixed season for Spurs, who finished third, scoring the winner in his first start in the English Premier League but suffering an injury and drop in form that reduced his playing time. For his nation, though, he remains pivotal and was named AFC International Footballer of the Year in last November’s AFC Annual Awards.
Wu Lei, China
A savior for his nation and his club alike forward Wu Lei has enjoyed a stellar 2016 so far. Scorer of the crucial second goal in the 2-0 win over Qatar in the final 2018 FIFA World Cup second round qualifier that helped China into the final round for the first time since 2002, Wu Lei repeated the trick for his club Shanghai SIPG, netting an injury time winner in the Round of 16 second leg to take the continental debutants into the AFC Champions League quarter-finals.
Source: the-afc.com