Prior to the opener in the EAFF?E?1?Football Championship, Dejan ?ur?evic, China men's NT's caretaking coach, said in the press conference: " EAFF?E?1 Championship is a good starting point. We’ve selected some new players, and we hope to see how they perform and work toward building a stronger national team. All three opponents are strong teams, and we will do our best to prepare for the matches and strive for the best possible results, so that we can get this new cycle off to a good start."