China has named an under-strength squad for its last 2007 Asian
Cup qualifying match against Iraq as all Europe-based players and
ace defender Li Weifeng were dropped.
Energie Cottbus midfielder Shao Jiayi, Royal Antwerp striker
Dong Fangzhuo and Manchester City defender Sun Jihai are among the
notable absentees from the 26-man roster announced by the Chinese
Football Association (CFA) late on Tuesday.
Li Weifeng, the defensive backbone of the 2004 Asian Cup
runner-up, will also have to miss the Nov. 15 game in Changsha, the
capital of central China's Hunan province, as he is serving a ban
which rules him out of national duty until the end of this
year.
The Chinese team will gather in a national training base in
Guangdong province from Nov. 4-16, said the CFA.
Both China and Iraq have already qualified for the 2007 Asian
Cup finals, to be co-hosted by Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and
Vietnam.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Li Leilei, Zhang Lu, Yang Zhi;
Defenders: Ji Mingyi, Zhang Yaokun, Xu Liang, Xu Yunlong, Sun
Xiang, Wu Wei'an, Feng Xiaoting, Zhao Jialin;
Midfielders: Zheng Zhi, Zhou Haibin, Zhao Xuri, Zhao Junzhe, Cao
Yang, Jiang Kun, Wang Dong, Chen Tao, Du Zhenyu, Zheng Bin;
Forwards: Li Jinyu, Han Peng, Mao Jianqing, Gao Lin, Zhu
Ting.
(Xinhua News Agency November 1, 2006)