''I need to get permission from above to dismiss the coach and make a change, so there's not enough time.''
On the 7th (Korean time), the Chinese outlet ''Penguin Dot Com'' reported, ''Branko Ivanković, the coach of the Chinese national football team, will not be dismissed due to the World Cup elimination. He will continue in the role until the East Asian Cup held in July,'' adding, ''The reason is not that the dismissal of the coach is unnecessary, but that time is needed due to China's characteristics.''
The Chinese team, led by Branko Ivanković, lost 0-1 to Indonesia in the 9th match of Group C in the final qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North and Central American World Cup at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia on the 5th. With this loss, China remained at the bottom of the group in 6th place with 6 points (2 wins, 7 losses), and regardless of the outcome of the remaining match, it became impossible for them to advance into the top four, thus thwarting their hopes of qualification.
In particular, the 20 goals conceded in 9 matches represent the highest number of goals conceded in Group C and are among the highest figures across Asia. Desperate for a victory to qualify for the World Cup, China conceded the opening goal from a penalty kick in the 45th minute of the first half and ultimately failed to equalize. Early in the second half, a decisive shot from Wang Yudong was saved by the goalkeeper, wasting another opportunity. While this was a must-win game for China, they only attempted 5 shots (1 on target), falling far behind Indonesia, which attempted 13 shots (3 on target).
As a result, China experienced the bitter taste of early elimination in this World Cup, where the number of Asian region tickets increased to 8.5. With 48 teams now qualifying for the World Cup, it has been assessed that qualification has become easier than ever. This is dominated by claims of consideration from FIFA regarding China.
However, with this failure, China has continued its record of failing to qualify for the World Cup for the sixth consecutive time. China now faces a situation where it must look forward to 2030. Immediately after the match, Chinese ''Tencent Sports'' covered this failure with the title ''A history of blood and tears! The Chinese national football team, six failures.''
Tencent Sports noted, ''The 2026 North and Central American World Cup was considered a golden opportunity as the number of allocated tickets for Asia increased to 8.5, yet they barely passed the second qualifying round. After Ivanković became the head coach, they started with a heavy defeat of 0-7 to Japan and three consecutive losses, although they revived hope by defeating Indonesia and Bahrain, but once again fell into a three-match losing streak, leading to their elimination two matches before the main tournament. Ultimately, they failed to qualify completely after losing the match against Indonesia.''
Meanwhile, criticism is growing within China. One fan remarked, ''FIFA has blatantly increased the number of World Cup participant countries for China and scattered many tickets to Asia,'' while expressing frustration, saying, ''Despite this, China was unable to participate once again. What kind of privileges does FIFA need to grant for us to qualify?''
However, regardless of public opinion in China, there are currently no plans to dismiss Coach Ivanković. Penguin Dot Com stated, ''We understand the domestic discontent, but the Chinese Football Association (CFA) has its own circumstances. The Chinese national football team does not have the authority to dismiss the coach; permission from the Chinese government and the Communist Party is necessary.''
The media explained, ''An even bigger problem is that hiring a successor also requires the 'higher-ups' permission. If this procedure is completed, it will pass the timing of the East Asian Cup, which will be held in early July. Ultimately, with the current situation requiring step-by-step approval from higher authorities, it is difficult to make a quick change in the coaching position, and we will proceed with the Ivanković coaching system until the East Asian Cup.''
'If the procedure is completed, the East Asian Cup will necessarily be over. Then, a ridiculous situation may arise where Coach Ivanković performs well in the East Asian Cup and a new coach takes over afterward,'' they added, noting, ''While we understand the domestic dissatisfaction, this farce arises because a sudden change is not possible.''
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