AFC Asian Cup: China coach Aleksandar Jankovic refuses to ‘run away’ from pressure as crunch Lebanon clash looms
- Jankovic’s team meet Lebanon on Wednesday needing to improve on error-ridden opener and get back on track for a last-16 berth
- China’s low-scoring performances have drawn criticism, but Jankovic says: ‘I will keep pushing this style … and hope we will be more precise’
Aleksandar Jankovic vowed to fight through a stormy period as China head coach, and insisted his team would go for the jugular when they face Lebanon in a potentially make-or-break AFC Asian Cup finals clash on Wednesday.
China were suffocated by pressure in their first game, delivering a spluttering, error-strewn performance and on occasion riding their luck in a 0-0 draw with Tajikistan.
Speaking the day before his team’s second match, Jankovic said he was “not proud” of the sloppiness that resulted in China misplacing more than 100 passes in their opener.
He said afterwards his players had felt “stress”, raising questions over the mental condition of a squad who sat through a documentary about disgraced former head coach Li Tie last week, and who play under huge expectation from supporters at home.
“I am fighting as a coach, this is a challenge for me,” Jankovic said. “It is not a new topic, handling these difficult moments.
“We had the biggest number of [passing] errors of the whole tournament in the first half against Tajikistan. I am not proud of that statistic, and am trying to solve it.
