China’s National Football Team Ties 2-2 with Singapore in World Cup Qualifier
Xinhua News Agency, Singapore, March 21 (Reporter Liu Chuntao) – In the third round of the top 36 of the 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup Asian Qualifiers on March 21st, the Chinese men’s national football team took a 2-0 lead at halftime but was ultimately tied 2-2 by the Singapore team in the away game.
This game marked the debut of new national football coach Ivankovic, and the Chinese team’s performance in the first half was impressive. Wu Lei scored the first goal with a header in the 10th minute, and then added another goal in stoppage time after a smart move to capitalize on a saved shot by Xie Pengfei.
However, the situation changed in the second half as Singapore’s substitutions proved effective. Ramli, who came on as a substitute, scored a long-range goal in the 53rd minute, bringing Singapore back into the game. The equalizer came from Mahler in the 81st minute after a defensive error by Zhang Linpeng.
In another match in the same group, South Korea drew with Thailand 1-1 at home. Currently, the Chinese national team ranks third in Group C with 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss, and 4 points. The Thai team is in second place with 4 points and a goal difference advantage, while South Korea leads the group.
The Chinese team will face Singapore again in the next round of competition, this time at home in Tianjin on March 26.