China's men’s national football team is currently in Iran, preparing for a crucial World Cup qualifying encounter against their hosts on Tuesday night. The PRC claimed a historic victory over South Korea in Changsha last Thursday and Marcello Lippi's men are looking to make it two wins in a row, but preparations have been hampered by some unexpected problems.

According to CCTV's Zhang Heyun, who is in Tehran, China were supposed to have their first training session in Iran on a pitch outside Azadi Stadium, according to arrangements by the Iranian side. However, the field was closed owing to Iranian New Year celebrations. This meant China had to move their session to the Iranian National Football Academy, where they found a pitch in poor condition and covered in potholes and puddles. The session was also hit by a snowstorm.

So Lippi's squad have many difficulties to overcome even before taking on Iran. The hosts currently top Group A, four points ahead of South Korea. Uzbekistan is third with 9 points, followed by Syria. China only has 5 points, with 4 games left to play in the qualification campaign. The top two teams in the pool will automatically qualify for the World Cup, while the third-placed team will face their counterparts from Group B in a playoff. The winner will then advance to the Inter-continental play-offs against the fourth-placed team from the North American qualifying group for a ticket to Russia in 2018.