| BANGKOK - Asian Cup fever will spread quickly throughout China if the hosts win the opening game against Bahrain on July 17, according to coach Arie Haan.
Haan said that interest in the quest for Asian superiority was building in China and a good start by the local heroes would energise the fans.
The former Dutch star knows that it will not be easy for China to start with a bang against Bahrain. "They are a physical team who move the ball around quickly and look good on the counter attack," he said after watching Bahrain beat Thailand 2-0 in a friendly match in Bangkok. Haan received a shock on his arrival back in China with news that star midfielder Li Xiaopeng had broken his nose in an accident during training. Li, who has been in good scoring form for club and country in recent months, suffered the injury after colliding with a teammate, according to news reports. It is expected that he will be fit to take his place in the team for the opening game. China also play Indonesia and Qatar in Group A which is based in Beijing. The three other four-team groups are centred in Jinan, Chengdu and Chongqing.（news form http://www.asiancup2004.com/） |
