The Chinese national football team wrapped up its international fixture window with a 1-0 defeat against Tajikistan on Dec. 6, marking a third loss without scoring a goal during a turbulent stretch of friendlies, according to domestic media reports.
Shangguan News Criticizes Zero Returns From Four Friendlies
Following the conclusion of the international window, the Chinese publication Shangguan News published a scathing review of the team’s four-match run, stating that the side harvested “virtually zero returns” from the preparations. The matches were intended as crucial test events ahead of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, offering head coach Xiao Jiayi a platform to evaluate tactical combinations and player pairings against fellow tournament participants.
Troubling Results Against Palestine and New Zealand
China opened the sequence with a 3-0 victory over Maldives, a side that stepped in after Turkmenistan withdrew from the schedule. However, Shangguan News noted that the significant talent gap in the opener offered limited tactical value. The subsequent fixtures exposed severe deficiencies as the squad fell 0-3 to New Zealand and suffered a 0-5 thrashing at the hands of Palestine, before concluding with the 1-0 loss to Tajikistan in which captain Wei Shihao received a red card.
Shuffling Lineups Leaves Starting Core Unclear
Criticism centered heavily on the constant turnover within the squad. Despite missing several key contributors due to concurrent player assignments for the Asian Games, the coaching staff made sweeping changes to the starting lineup across 16 days of activities. The outlet pointed out that the team lacked both a fixed starting core and a clear evaluation policy for personnel.
Contrasting Playing Time for Youth and League Standouts
Team selection sparked intense scrutiny from analysts following the matches. Eighteen-year-old Fan Shenghao logged 197 minutes across three appearances, whereas Gao Tianyi—who ranks near the top of the domestic league in assists—played a mere 13 minutes over four games. Shangguan News questioned the logic behind the stark disparity in playing time, noting that the strategy made it difficult to discern what the coaching staff hoped to evaluate.
Tactical Disconnect and Ongoing Preparation Challenges
Tactical implementations fared little better under scrutiny. Even when deploying a four-back formation coupled with an aggressive pressing style, the team suffered from a severe disconnect between defense and attack, failing to establish reliable progression routes up the field. With the 2027 AFC Asian Cup approaching, Xiao Jiayi faces a compressed timeline to establish a coherent tactical identity and define a stable starting skeleton.
