China's men's national football team is going all out to prepare for the 2027 Asia Cup, head coach Shao Jiayi said in an interview released by the China Media Group on Sunday.
Shao, who took charge of the team in November 2025, said they are working against time to rebuild and improve the team for the tournament in Saudi Arabia, which will be held from 7 January to 5 February 2027.
"During the 18-team qualifying matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup over the past year, we've seen many Southeast Asian teams making rapid progress. That got me thinking that now is the time for us to act quickly. Although it may seem like we have a year to prepare [for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup], when we calculate the actual time available for national team training and matches, it totals only around 100 days," Shao said.
The team had already kicked off its first training camp of 2026 preparing for future international competitions, including the 2027 Asia Cup and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Among the 26-player squad for the team's first training camp of 2026, which runs from January 4 to 27 in Zhaoqing City, south China's Guangdong Province, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, are four newcomers Li Yang, Yan Bingliang, Ma Zhen and Lyu Zhuoyi.
Shao said these and other young players will bring new momentum to the team.
"Young players undoubtedly represent the future. In the upcoming training camp in March, it's possible that new faces will join the team. In fact, in recent youth competitions, we've been very close to a breakthrough. I believe that as long as we keep working hard, that moment of breakthrough will arrive soon," said Shao.
China's men's national football team goes all out in preparation for 2027 Asia Cup
