China, Lippi earns a draw on his debut: with Qatar it finishes 0-0

China has a narrow path to qualifying for the Russia 2018 World Cup. The tie they earned against Qatar during Lippi’s first match leaves China at the bottom of Group A with only two points taken from five matches. It is a difficult situation, because China is now seven points away from being in a position which could grant qualification. Nonetheless, the goal of Marcello Lippi remains to try until the end. There certainly exists a possibility for China to climb up the standings, however, as they still must play each team in their group again. Although the path is complicated, Lippi has demonstrated himself to be a capable manager. The third place occupied by Uzbekistan remains an objective as Lippi attempts to at least make the playoffs in order to hope for World Cup football.

Group A

Iran 11
Korea Republic 10
Uzbekistan 9
Syria 5
Qatar 4
China 2