Gao back in charge of battling China team

Former national player and coach Gao Hongbo will return as manager of China's team, the Chinese Football Association announced on its website on Wednesday.

Gao, the national team's striker in the early 1990s, will take over as interim coach after Alain Perrin of France was dismissed by the CFA last month in the wake of the squad's poor performances in 2018 World Cup qualifying.

Gao, who coached the national team from 2009-11, will be tasked with guiding the squad through the remainder of the 2018 Russia World Cup Asian qualifying tournament.

After a loss and two draws in the first phase of qualifying in November, China missed out on a direct berth to the final stage of qualifying for Russia, and now has to rely on other teams' results to make it.

China will play at home against the Maldives on March 24 before hosting Qatar five days later to keep alive its theoretical chance of qualifying for Russia.

Lin Xiaohua, a member of CFA's executive committee, said Gao was the most suitable choice to replace Perrin, who took over the reins in 2014.

"The remaining two games will come very soon; we need a coach who understands the conditions of all the national team players as well as our opponents' strengths and weakness in Asia," Lin said at the draw for the CFA Cup on Wednesday.

"Gao was second to none to take the post in the current situation".

A prolific scorer in his prime, Gao instilled his attacking philosophy in the national team during his first tenure, leading the side to a 3-0 victory over South Korea at the East Asia Cup in February 2010.

That triumph ended China's 32-year victory drought against its Asian rival.

China boasted 23 wins in 38 international games under the guidance of Gao, who was replaced by Spanish coach Jose Antonio Camacho in 2011.

Jin Zhiyang, a former national team coach and renowned promoter of youth soccer in China, said homegrown experts like Gao are a better fit here now than costly foreign coaches.

"Spending huge amounts of money to sign big-name coaches who don't know much about the game's status in China won't help at all," said Jin.

"Rather than investing in the employment of national coaches, the CFA should support youth training with more funding."

Respected CCTV sports commentator He Wei agreed.

"Who should be responsible for the mistakes we have made over the past few years?" said He.

"It's like spending years to just return to the start. Who should take the responsibility for the loss of time and money spent on hiring foreign coaches?"

Before Gao's appointment was announced, the CFA was again looking overseas to replace its national coach, with former Japan manager Zico of Brazil and ex-Italian national coach Cesare Prandelli confirmed as possible candidates.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn