China, facing difficult qualification for the 2018 World Cup, faces South Korea on Thursday in a match with special security measures due to diplomatic tension between the two countries, who are in a crisis due to the North Korean nuclear program.
The football match will take place in Changsha, in central China, a country where fans are accustomed to expressing their patriotism.
Local authorities have even asked Chinese supporters to "not incite crowds to riot through social media."
According to the Yonhap news agency, there will be just about 200 South Korean fans in Changhsa. To avoid problems, they have agreed to only wear their jerseys inside the stadium and will remain in groups, making it easier for security forces and the police to protect them, as stated by the South Korean Football Federation.
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The two countries are in a tense moment due to Seoul's decision to deploy a US anti-missile shield to protect against potential launches from North Korea, which has conducted various nuclear tests.
In China, dozens of supermarkets owned by a South Korean group are currently being boycotted, and tourist companies no longer send travel groups to South Korea.
A new defeat for the Chinese team, in this political context, would greatly anger fans. After five out of the ten planned matches, China is sixth and last in its group in the Asian qualifiers.
China's World Cup dream is therefore far away, as only the top two teams (Iran and South Korea at the moment) qualify directly for Russia-2018, and the third team enters the playoffs.
- Is there a 'Lippi effect'? -
China (2 points) therefore has to make up its significant gap, which is seven points behind the third-place team (Uzbekistan with 9 points), if it wants to have a chance to qualify.
A very difficult mission for the legendary coach Marcello Lippi, who led Italy to become world champions in 2006. The balance since his arrival in October has not been very impressive: two draws and one defeat.
After a 0-0 against Qatar in the World Cup qualifiers, China had two friendly matches without a victory: a 2-0 defeat against Iceland, a revelation of the 2016 European Championship, and a 1-1 draw against Croatia.
The expected 'Lippi effect' has not yet occurred.
"At Juventus, he instilled a defensive style of play. But with China, he insists on the opposite; on attacking, and pushes the team to seek victory," says Gong Lei, a former player and coach who works as a TV commentator.
China and South Korea face each other in a match with high political tension
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Jin Shan, a sports journalist, believes that China has made progress since Lippi's arrival. "He has brought more balance; he has improved ball circulation. The team has really changed," he says.
China, which has only participated in one World Cup (2002), is currently ranked 86th by FIFA. Despite efforts in recent years to boost its football, it is the eighth Asian country in the world rankings, far behind South Korea (40th) or Japan (51st).
"This is due, among other things, to education in China, which is based on a lack of initiative (...) Players are not used to leading, to taking responsibility in the game," says Gong Lei.
Lippi, however, has a motivating annual salary. The coach and his group of assistants receive a total of 20 million euros, according to the Chinese press.
With information from the agency: AFP