Chinese national soccer team head coach Aleksandar Jankovic has admitted that South Korea is a tough opponent.
According to a report by Chinese media outlet Xinhua on Wednesday, Jankovic said, “We have to fight against a world-class team. South Korea is the best team. Not only in Asian soccer, but also in the world. In terms of individual ability, stability, and confidence. It will be a big challenge for us,” he said, praising South Korea’s strength.
“As I always say, we will play to win,” Jankovic continued. It’s our first home game of the qualifiers. We have to show great mental strength. Mentally, we need to show that everyone wants to win together. I hope we have a good result.”
South Korea and China will meet in Shenzhen, China, on Nov. 21 in the second Asian qualifier for the 2026 North American Football Confederations Cup. China will host South Korea after playing their first qualifying match away to Thailand on Saturday. 보스토토 도메인
According to Jankovic, the Koreans are objectively superior. With Europeans like Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) and Lee Jae-sung (Mainz 05), South Korea is considered one of the best teams in Asia.
China, on the other hand, is composed entirely of domestic players. While some players, like Wu Lei, have played in Europe, the difference in quality is significant. In fact, in the FIFA rankings alone, South Korea is ranked 24th and China 79th. Jankovic has no choice but to recognize Korea.
Jankovic is a Serbian coach who has been leading the Chinese national team since last year. He took the helm of China’s U19 B team in 2018 before moving on to the U20 and U23 national teams and then the A team. Before coming to China, he coached in Serbia and France.