BEIJING, 18 July 2004 — Hosts China were held to a surprise 2-2 draw by Bahrain in the opening game of the Asian Cup yesterday after a late strike by substitute Husain Ali.
Just as China thought they had escaped after battling back from a goal down, Ali equalized for Bahrain in the 89th minute with a thumping drive from the edge of the box. “I hope this is a very good lesson,” fumed China coach Arie Haan. “The players have to concentrate for the whole game. It’s a failing that I can’t explain.”
There were swathes of empty seats in Beijing for an opening match punctuated with fouls and six yellow cards. Midfielder Mohamed Hubail put Bahrain ahead with a superb goal four minutes before halftime, flicking the ball over China goalkeeper Liu Yunfei from 25 meters.
Booed off the pitch at the interval, China hit back within six minutes of the restart.
Zheng Zhi calmly converted a retaken penalty following a handball from Bahrain defender Sayed Mohamed.
China, who have never won the Asian Cup, took the lead in the 67th minute when striker Li Jinyu beat goalkeeper Ali Saeed with a low left-foot shot that went in off the post.
But Husain Ali, who had been on the pitch for less than 10 minutes, pounced to give Bahrain a share of the points.
“The first games in a big tournament are always the most difficult. Maybe it was something to do with the pressure but I don’t accept that anymore,” shrugged Dutchman Haan. “We lost two points at the end but we were too afraid to move. It seems to me the players don’t believe in themselves.”
Chelsea Draw in Mourinho’s
First Friendly
In London, Jose Mourinho’s first game in charge of big-spending Chelsea ended in a stuttering 1-1 draw at lower league side Oxford United yesterday.
Mourinho fielded a strong side for the friendly including new striker Mateja Kezman, signed from PSV Eindhoven, who equalized in the second half after Chelsea fell behind to a Tommy Mooney strike keeper Carlo Cudicini should have saved.
Oxford, from the fourth division of English football, are managed by former Chelsea assistant coach Graham Rix and coped well with the likes of Joe Cole and Eidur Gudjohnsen. Premier League champions Arsenal also played a strong line-up as they hammered minor league side Barnet 10-1 in their first preseason friendly.
Jose Antonio Reyes, left out of Spain’s Euro 2004 squad last month, hit a hat trick as did forgotten striker Francis Jeffers, having returned from a year on loan at former club Everton. Robin van Persie, Arsenal’s new recruit from Feyenoord, scored one and looked impressive in his first game while new goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, signed from Celta Vigo this week, conceded early on when Barnet scored first.
