DOHA: An Asian zone World Cup qualifier between the bottom two sides in Group A, who have won just one game in eight between them, may not seem a particularly noteworthy match.

But when China face Qatar in Kunming on Tuesday, it will also be a clash between arguably the most ambitious and certainly in their region biggest spending nations who, in the long-term, could both play a central role in shaping the sport’s future.

Premium + Digital Edition

Ad-free access


P 80 per month
(billed annually at P 960)
  • Unlimited ad-free access to website articles
  • Limited offer: Subscribe today and get digital edition access for free (accessible with up to 3 devices)

TRY FREE FOR 14 DAYS
See details
See details