China approaches its opening World Cup qualifier against Asian champions Iraq here today with coach Vladimir Petrovic under huge pressure after gutting the underperforming team.
The Serb dropped seven players following their dismal 4-0 loss to German Bundesliga side SV Hamburg last month, including long-time and popular squad members Du Wei and Zhang Yaokun.
In the job for just five months, China's demanding fans have given Petrovic a massive thumbs down with a one recent poll showing only 4 percent expect China to qualify for the finals in South Africa in 2010.
PHOTO: EPA
Following the axings, China responded with a goalless draw in a friendly against United Arab Emirates, but they know they have to improve, and fast, after being drawn in a "group of death" with Australia, Qatar, and Iraq.
Only the top two teams progress to the fourth and final round of qualifying.
While recent results have not gone his way, Petrovic, who was appointed after Zhu Guanghu was fired for failing to take China beyond the first round of the Asian Cup last year, said he was confident they will be in South Africa.
"I wouldn't have accepted the job if I wasn't confident of guiding the team to South Africa 2010," he said in a recent interview with Fifa.com.
"I think China are more than capable of playing against any other Asian sides if they work hard in terms of the details," Petrovic said.
Charlton Athletic midfielder Zheng Zhi and Manchester United striker Dong Fangzhuo will be vital to the team's success.
Zheng has been on fire in the English Championship and has established himself as an influential figure in the national team.
Both China and Iraq have appeared at a World Cup just once before -- China in 2002 when they were eliminated in the first round after losing all their matches without scoring a goal.
After years of striving for international success, Iraq are desperate to emulate their old feats in the 1980s, during which they qualified for Mexico 1986 and booked three consecutive appearances at the Olympic Games.
New coach Egil Olsen, a Norwegian, has named 15 players in his squad from the team that won the Asian Cup last year, including talismanic captain Younis Mahmoud, with recalls for strikers Emad Mohammed and Ala'a Abdulzahra.
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