China marks 20 years since reaching its only Fifa World Cup with long wait for return set to go on
- China have qualified for Fifa showpiece once in 11 attempts as Qatar 2022 campaign looks on the brink on failure
- Despite high-profile support of sport, country has not gone close since Japan and South Korea co-hosted in 2002
On October 7, 2001, China’s 44-year wait for a ticket to the Fifa World Cup finals ended with a narrow 1-0 win over Oman in the second round of the Asian Football Confederation qualifiers.
Tianjin Teda midfielder Yu Genwei’s 36th minute goal ensured that China were on the plane to the Japan and South Korea World Cup, ending a barren run since the country had first tried to qualify back in 1957.
Entering the qualifiers for the 2002 Fifa World Cup, jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea, the co-hosts took up two of Asia’s four and a half qualifying spots – leaving an opportunity for China to qualify.
China showed that they meant business winning six of six in the group stage – beating Indonesia, Maldives and Cambodia twice – before moving on to the next round.
In the second round, China would eventually top group B with 19 points – ahead of UAE on 11 – and it was on October 7, 2001 they made it mathematically impossible for anyone to catch them, securing a first World Cup finals berth.
Oman were winless in their group, while China were unbeaten in five games, and it went to form despite the hosts missing their top scorer, Qi Hong, who was suspended after being booked against UAE days beforehand.
