Shao Jiayi: Players Gave Their Best

In the FIFA Series, China lost 0–2 to Cameroon. After the match, China head coach Shao Jiayi attended the press conference and said the players “performed to the best of their current level.”

Shao said: “First of all, I’d like to offer my sincere congratulations to Cameroon. Clearly, they were the stronger side, and this win was fully deserved—it really showed their quality. As for China, I’m satisfied with our attitude, our desire to compete, and our team organisation. I give full credit to every player. They played at the best level they’re capable of at this stage, and honestly, it’s hard for me to ask for more.”

“In the first ten minutes, we weren’t focused enough. But over the next 80 minutes, our performance was close to perfect. I’m very satisfied with what the players showed.”

“There’s no formation that is inherently right or wrong. In the first ten minutes of the first half, our organisation wasn’t quite there—especially on the first goal we conceded, which exposed areas where we haven’t trained enough. The players gave everything and did very well. From a coach’s perspective, I need to strengthen our tactical work and set aside ten minutes in training specifically to address those details—maybe we can get even better results that way. But I want to stress this: the players were beyond reproach today. I can’t blame them. For this defeat, I’m willing to take full responsibility.”

“Compared with us, Cameroon are obviously a team on another level. I told the players in the dressing room as well: in Asian football, it’s hard to find a team as physically strong and powerful as them. Their individual ability is outstanding—often we needed two, even three players to help defend in order to limit them. That shows that we not only need to improve our discipline and organisation as a team, but also focus on raising our players’ individual ability.”

“Our players all have a lot of potential, and they should set higher standards for themselves. After this match against a world-class opponent, they’ve truly felt the tempo and level of top teams. I believe that when they go back home, every one of them will make even greater progress in the future.”

“As a coach, I’m more focused on the match itself. The FIFA Series is very beneficial for us. We’re playing away from home, and the players have worked extremely hard, but this is a process they have to go through and adapt to. With away trips and long-distance travel, they can get used to the time difference in advance, and that’s very helpful for us. It’s great to face high-quality opponents. Curaçao are a World Cup team, and Cameroon are a traditional football powerhouse—most of their players play in Europe. In the past, it was hard to imagine that within one international window we could play two high-level matches against teams from different continents. This is extremely valuable for the team’s development.”