The football world was buzzing on Tuesday as China secured their first win over Thailand in the qualifying campaign for the World Cup. The match at the National Stadium in Guangzhou ended with a solitary goal from Chinese striker Zhang Yuning, who scored the only goal of the game in the 65th minute.
The victory was a significant achievement for China, who had previously struggled against their Southeast Asian rivals. It also marked a turning point in the group stage of the qualifying campaign, which has so far seen two draws and one defeat for both teams.
Thailand, who have been playing some impressive football lately, were not able to find the back of the net despite several attempts. Their inability to score proved costly, as they now face a difficult task of catching up with China in the standings.
For China, this is just the beginning of what promises to be a competitive campaign. They will need to continue to perform well if they want to make it out of Group D, which includes Australia, Vietnam and Bahrain.
The victory over Thailand was also a morale boost for the Chinese fans, who had been disappointed by their performances in previous matches. The team's coach, Li Tie, expressed his satisfaction with the result, saying that it was a "good start" for the qualifiers.
Overall, the victory over Thailand was a positive step forward for China, and could set them on a path towards a successful qualifying campaign. However, there is still much work to be done before they can fully capitalise on this win.