2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier | China draws with Singapore | China captain Zhang Linpeng quits after 2-2 draw
SINGAPORE: China squandered a 2-0 lead to ultimately draw 2-2 with Singapore away in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers second stage here on Thursday, said Xinhua.
Both teams changed head coaches recently. Before this game, China sat third in Group C with one victory and one defeat, while Singapore lost two consecutive matches.
Memento Maxima Digital MarketingChina broke the deadlock in the 10th minute with a glancing header from veteran striker Wu Lei in the box following a cross from midfielder Wang Shangyuan.
In the 31st minute, Wu won a penalty for China, but his sloppy shot was saved by Singaporean goalkeeper Hassan Sunny.
China extended the lead to 2-0 in stoppage time of the first half as Wu netted in a rebound shot after a long-distance strike from attacking midfielder Xie Pengfei.
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“I told my players at the halftime that 2-0 is dangerous. Sadly, we did not do well in the second half,“ China coach Branko Ivankovic told the post-match press conference.
The momentum of the match changed dramatically in the second half, with Faris Ramli pulled one goal back for the home team in the 53rd minute, after a Chinese defender deflected his shot, leaving goalkeeper Yan Junling hapless.
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In the 81st minute, China captain and defender Zhang Linpeng missed a critical clearance and gave Singaporean substitute Jacob Mahler an open goal opportunity in the penalty area to score the equaliser.
“We should improve the efficiency to goal in the coming game and have a lot to correct. The team needs to do all the efforts to win the next game,“ Ivankovic said.
After the disappointing draw, China still ranks third in the group, trailing the group leader South Korea by three points and on par with Thailand but behind on goal difference.
In the other match of Group C on Thursday, South Korea was held by Thailand 1-1 at home.
China will play back-to-back match against Singapore at home in Tianjin next Tuesday.
Wu Lei told the media that his individual performance held no significance if the team failed.
“I don’t care who scores the goals but winning the second match matters. That’s all I’m thinking about,“ Wu noted. – Bernama, Xinhua
China football captain Zhang Linpeng quits after 2-2 draw with Singapore
China captain Zhang Linpeng (No. 5) told the media he would be quitting the national team. PHOTO: REUTERS
SINGAPORE – Following his side’s 2-2 World Cup Asian qualifier draw with Singapore on March 21, China skipper Zhang Linpeng announced he would leave the national set-up, with the shock decision making rounds on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
“I thought about it for a long while. I think it’s time to end my national team career,” the 34-year-old centre-back, who plays for Chinese Super League team Shanghai Port, said in a South China Morning Post report.
“We could not even beat the Singapore team. I think it’s unacceptable, and I find it humiliating.”
However, there was no confirmation of Zhang’s quit decision from the Chinese Football Association.
The news subsequently sparked discussions on Weibo, with more than 10,000 likes on one of the posts as of March 22.
One fan commented in Chinese: “Let the board know before announcing this, if not you’re just acting on impulse.”
Others thanked Zhang for his contributions during his 15-year spell with the senior national team, during which he made 105 appearances.
One of them wrote: “He has a lot of experience, but age has caught up with him. After all, he has contributed greatly to the team, so it’s difficult to criticise him. This feels like heartache.”
The March 21 result at the National Stadium meant world No. 88 China are third in Group C, three ahead of bottom-placed Singapore. The two sides will face each other again on March 26 at the Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium.
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