BEIJING: Chinese football fans are angry and distraught over their much-fancied team’s failure to score against gritty India in a rare football match between the two countries leading to a tame goalless draw.
The international friendly match held in the city of Suzhou, East China’s Jiangsu Province, on Saturday was the first between the two Asian giants in 21 years.
Most Chinese fans were sure of victory at home in the Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre, but despite attacking most of the match, China failed to finish off multiple attempts, state-run Global Times reported.
A 0-0 draw with India in the “planet derby” between the world’s two most populous nations enraged Chinese soccer fans, official media reported on Monday.
“It is absolutely devastating to think that these are the best 30 players from a population base of three billion,” the daily quoted China Central Television (CCTV) soccer commentator He Wei as saying after the match.
“The weak opponent has made the Chinese soccer team look worse. Way to go India,” posted one fan on social media site Sina Weibo.
In a keenly-watched football match played between the two most populous countries in the world but still laggards in the global game, China dominated the proceedings with waves of onslaughts on the Indian citadel but they failed to score a goal.
It was a remarkable achievement for India, playing on the Chinese soil for the first time, as they have drawn against a continental top side like China in their own den.
The draw is expected to take India higher in the FIFA rankings. They are now placed 97th while China are at 76th spot.PTI
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