by sportswriter Wei Hua

BEIJING, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- China almost had no time to celebrate its hard-fought victory over Bahrain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers fifth round last Thursday, as Branko Ivankovic's side returned to China immediately to devote itself to the preparation works for Tuesday's home clash against bitter rival Japan.

Despite a high mountain to climb, China is still expected to gi