China Cup 2017: Croatian Football Team off to Asia

Croatia off to Asia (photo: HNS)

Croatia will take part in the first China Cup which will be held in Nanning city, China in January.

The Chinese Football Association and Wanda Sports Holdings Co. will host the first-ever China Cup International Football Tournament from 10 – 15 January 2017 in the southern Chinese autonomous region of Guangxi, in Nanning city.

Croatia will take part in the tournament with the hosts China, Iceland, and Chile. The tournament will see the four teams play semi-finals after the draw is made with the two winners of those matches playing a final on 15 January.

The losers of the semi-finals will play off for third and fourth.

“A number of famous players and coaches have made Croatia famous around the world so we enjoy a good reputation in China. We are looking forward to this tournament and the opportunity to promote our football in a country like China and we hope that the China Cup will open more doors for our players and coaches to play a part in the development of football in China”, said Croatian Football Federation President Davor Šuker.

Croatia to play in China Cup (photo credit: HNS)

The first China Cup comes as China’s national team prepares to compete for a place in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. China is the world’s most populous soccer market and the Asian nation has invested a lot of money recently as they aim to a force in the game in the not too distant future.