Photo: VCG

Chinese national football team head coach Shao Jiayi said Monday he expects a competitive encounter against Thailand as his side looks to continue its preparations for 2027's Asian Cup and further develop under his leadership.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday's friendly in Jinhua, East China's Zhejiang Province, Shao said the team was still recovering from its recent trip to Singapore but remained focused on delivering a strong performance for home supporters.

"The team only returned from Singapore yesterday. After an away match, these past few days have mainly been about recovery and adjustment," Shao told reporters on Monday. "We hope to adjust our condition as well as possible and present an exciting match for the fans in Jinhua and across the country."

The match will mark Shao's first home game in charge of the Chinese national team. It also comes shortly after veteran forward Wu Lei reached the milestone of 100 appearances for the national team. The Chinese team defeated Singapore 2-1 in a friendly on Friday.

Forward Zhang Yuning echoed the coach's comments regarding the team's physical condition. "We have just arrived back and are actively recovering from fatigue," Zhang said. "We hope to give everything and perform well in the next match."

While describing Thailand as a stronger opponent than Singapore, Shao stressed that his squad would approach the match with full seriousness.

"I hope the team can become better and more stable. That is what I am pursuing," he said. "Whether at club level or with the national team, a mature team always has stable results."

"Thailand's strength is definitely greater than Singapore's. For a long time, we have not had much of an advantage in our matches against them. Tomorrow will be an intense game," he said.

Shao noted that Thailand had brought in a number of young players and had shown a different playing style in its recent match against Kuwait.

"They have displayed many ideas. Their style is more direct and faster than before," he said. "I wouldn't say we are facing an extremely powerful opponent, but it is a match that must be taken seriously."

Despite the possibility of squad rotation following a demanding travel schedule, Shao insisted that fielding a competitive lineup and pursuing victory remain the priorities.

"I don't think those two things contradict each other," he said when asked about balancing experimentation and results. "Everyone who can make the national team has the ability to start... For me, there are no friendlies when it comes to the national team. Every match is important."

The Chinese coach also praised the attitude of several newly selected players while urging them to maintain their ambition.

"The young players were selected based on their performances in the Chinese Super League," Shao said. "They must remain humble and maintain a sense of hunger and dissatisfaction throughout their careers if they want to continue improving."

Reflecting on the goal conceded against Singapore, Shao accepted responsibility and said the coaching staff had conducted a thorough review.

"We made a very good summary after the last game," he said. "The goal we conceded happened because the coaching staff's requirements were not detailed enough and we had not considered some difficulties carefully enough."

"The goal gave me a lot of inspiration. Preparation must be as detailed as possible."

According to Shao, the coaching staff has increased tactical repetition through both on-field training and video analysis in an effort to help players better adapt to the team's tactical demands.

"Our hope is that the players can absorb the ideas of the coaching staff as quickly as possible," he said. "There are difficulties, but I believe that with more time and more repetition they can fully achieve that and play more as a unit."