China beat Syria to reach final round of WC Asian Qualifiers
Wu Lei celebrates after he converted a penalty kick created by himself during the game between China and Syria in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates, on June 16, 2021.
China secured a spot in the final round of FIFA World Cup Asian zone Qualifiers after beating Syria 3-1 on Tuesday.
The Chinese team progressed through as one of the best five runners-up in the second round of Asian qualifying tournament. Despite the loss, Syria still finished top of Group A and advanced to the next stage.
Midfielder Zhang Xizhe volleyed home from inside the box in the 42nd minute to put China 1-0 ahead, before Syria capitalized on a blunder of the Chinese defence line to level just after the interval.
Espanyol-based striker Wu Lei demonstrated his prowess again in the 69th minute by converting a penalty kick created by himself.
In the stoppage time, Zhang Yuning scored with an easy tap-in after receiving Yin Hongbo's pass to move China onto 19 points from eight games.
