China’s football team warmed up for a set of crucial World Cup qualifiers by receiving “patriotic education” and learning about the history of the ruling Communist Party.
President Xi Jinping has grand ambitions for China to host and even win a football World Cup, but the national side is currently ranked 77th and struggling to make the next edition, in 2022 in Qatar.
China returns to its stuttering qualifying campaign with four matches on home soil, starting with minnows Guam on May 30 and culminating with a clash against group leaders Syria on June 15.
With China due to mark the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party’s founding in July, the squad took time out from train…
Keep on reading: China trains for World Cup matches with Communist history lessons