China unseeded for 2018 Jakarta Asian Games football

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The football seedings for the 2018 Asian Games have been announced with Japan, Syria, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and host country Indonesia occupying the leading spots.

China was placed in the second tier, according to Tencent Sports, along with the DPRK, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Kyrgyzstan and Thailand.

The group division will be decided on July 25 before the real tournament starts on August 15. Each team can only register 20 players including a maximum three older than 23.

Last time China won a men's football medal in the Asian Games was in Bangkok in 1998 when Sun Jihai #4 was still playing. /VCG Photo

The Chinese team will, as usual, be assembled half a month earlier for training and preparation, which could clash with the Chinese Super league’s policy of maintaining Under 23 players in the game.

Tencent Sports said that China’s goal for the football tournament is to strive for a medal. The last time its men’s team won a medal at the Asian Games was in 1998 in Bangkok. China was knocked out by Iran in the semifinal but beat Thailand 3-0 in the playoff for the bronze medal.

Since 1998, China has never made it through the first round of a knockout series at the Asian Games. /VCG Photo

In the next four Asian Games, China has never made it past the first round. They were taken out by Japan in Busan in 2002, lost to Iran in Doha in 2006, beaten by South Korea in Guangzhou in 2010 and eliminated by Thailand in Incheon in 2014.

The following are gradings of the 32 teams for men’s football tournament at 2018 Jakarta Asian Games:

Pot 1 (seeded teams): Japan, Syria, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Indonesia (host)

Pot 2: China, the DPRK, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Kyrgyzstan and Thailand

Pot 3: Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Chinese Hong Kong

Pot 4: Nepal, India, Cambodia, Timor Leste, Tajikistan, Singapore, Myanmar and Palestine