China teeter on brink of shock Asian Cup exit as Tajikistan make historic breakthrough

Now, let the recriminations begin. For the first time ever, China failed to find the back of the net in any of their three matches during the Asian Cup group stage. Aleksandar Jankovic's side have no one else to hold accountable but themselves for their 1-0 defeat to Qatar, who had already secured their spot in the last 16 as group winners and named a second-string team on Monday night.

This latest setback leaves China grappling with the consequences of yet another profoundly disheartening campaign. The initial glimmer of positivity ignited by China's improved display in the draw against Lebanon last week was swiftly replaced by a period of introspection.

Jankovic and his crestfallen players now face the harsh reality of a potential humiliating early exit, a scenario that they could never have imagined, even in their darkest nightmares. The weight of disappointment was palpable as Wei Shihao and Wu Lei stood before the media, bearing the burden of their team's underwhelming performance.

Wei, in particular, seemed utterly devastated, with his emotions on the verge of overflowing. "We had opportunities to score but failed to capitalize on them, which is extremely regrettable. Every team have become better, but we seem to be stuck in the same place. It's really dispiriting. The fans have put in so much effort to come and watch us play, but we truly performed poorly."

Wu chimed in, "Not scoring a single goal in three matches is a clear indication that we need to reflect on our attacking strategies. Our overall technique, tactics, and coordination also need improvement. The gap between teams in Asia is narrowing, and the so-called weaker teams have made significant progress in various aspects. We can't avoid discussing this topic. Chinese football has disappointed many supporters, and we hope that in the future, we can bring joy to them."

Away from the glaring spotlight, one cannot help but sense that a considerable number of Chinese players may be inclined to return home rather than endure the uncertainty of waiting in Qatar to learn their destiny. Now, Jankovic must hold on to the sliver of hope that China's two points will prove sufficient to book a place in the last 16 as one of the top four third-placed teams.

According to the rules, in the event of teams finishing level on points within their groups, the first tiebreaker will be their head-to-head record, followed by goal difference, goals scored, fair play points, and, as a last resort, the drawing of lots. These same criteria will be used to rank the six third-placed finishers from all the groups.  

Hence, the only possible path for China to advance to the knockout stages is if two conditions are simultaneously met: first, India must draw 0-0 with Syria in their final group match, and a Syrian player must receive at least one yellow card; second, Hong Kong, China need to secure a draw against Palestine.

If, by some miraculous twist of fate, China were to somehow scrape through to the next round, they could certainly use a healthy dose of the desire and fighting spirit exhibited by Asian Cup debutants Tajikistan. Against all odds, Petar Segrt's underrated team staged an impressive comeback, claiming a stunning 2-1 victory over Lebanon. Despite having two goals disallowed by VAR due to close offside calls, Tajikistan displayed remarkable resilience. This historic win propelled them into the last 16 for the first time. 

In sharp contrast, if China do find themselves crashing out of the tournament, they will have no grounds for complaint. Jankovic has declared his willingness to bear the reverberations for another failure, stating, "In the world of coaching, there are two kinds of coaches: those who have already been sacked and those waiting to be sacked.  

"As a coach, you must accept this fate. If you constantly dwell on this issue, it will impede your progress. Fear of losing your job is not a quality that befits a coach. All I can do is give it my all and strive for better performances from the team in the future."