When the Chinese become as adept at playing football as their association bosses are in diplomacy, the Brazilians will bow to them.

Thanks to its lobbying prowess, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) has earned a stronger voice in the international arena.

The latest episode involving the choice of seeds for the eight groups in the first round of 2006 World Cup Asian qualifiers is a case in point.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) initially planned to decide the seeds on the basis of rankings in the run-up to last year's World Cup finals. As a qualifier, the Chinese team would automatically become a seed.

But later FIFA, the international football governing body, overruled the AFC decision. It said the FIFA rankings of national teams by the end of November would determine the choice of seeds.

China now ranks ninth among Asian teams. This means, if the rankings remain unchanged in a month's time, China will be lumped into groups with strong football powers such as the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan and Iran. The possibility of its surviving the group matches would be slim.

A month's time is far from enough for the Chinese team to find high-profile friendly opportunities to improve its ranking.

Top CFA officials, hearing the bad news, immediately engaged in busy shuttle diplomacy to re-sell the AFC plan to the FIFA.

After repeated appeals and manoeuvres, FIFA promised to respect the AFC working agenda.

It is a long story. In short, it is one about a weak team begging for advantageous rules.

No other countries made a fuss about the change in the seeding rule. For Japan and the ROK, it was unnecessary. They are the top two Asian teams.

For other traditional Asian powers, such as Iran, either option was acceptable because its officials believe team performance will decide who seizes a berth in the World Cup finals.

The CFA officials should feel ashamed when they hear what their Iranian counterparts have said.

Some domestic media have said since China is a traditional Asian football power, it deserves the status of a seed and the CFA efforts have "defended the dignity" of Chinese football.

In my eyes, what we have garnered is not dignity, but shame.

Dignity can only be won by deeds, not words. Might is right on the football field.

The embarrassing position the Chinese team has found itself in has its roots in the incompetence of the CFA.

China has a wider base of young football enthusiasts than other Asian countries. China has invested colossal amounts of money in the sport in the past decade. And China's professional league has operated for 10 years.

Unlike football leagues in ROK and Japan, which push forward their national teams, the Chinese league has brought lingering scandals and fattened the pockets of the players. It has failed to impart professionalism in its players, which is the focus of complaints from fans.

Given these problems, the CFA officials have focused on the wrong target.

Unless it is backed up by team performance, diplomacy will not see the national team into the next World Cup finals.

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