The Chinese Olympic side, who are still smarting from their 1-0 opening match loss to arch rivals South Korea, will have to brace themselves up for an all- important battle against Bahrain in an Asian Group B qualifier for the Sydney Olympics in Shanghai on Sunday.

　 "We can't afford to be negative," head coach Englishman Bobby Houghton said here today. "We can't afford to think too much about the October 3 game against South Korea or the October 29 home game against them."

　 Despite having a better possession of the game, China still failed to etch out a historic win over their east Asian neighbors -- something almost a national obsession after an amazing losing streak running over a decade in the game of any kind.

　 "We are disappointed. No one is happy about the result," Houghton said, "But you've got to take the whole picture. We were away from home, losing just 1-0, and to a team ranked number one in Asia, and fortunately, it's the most difficult game."

　 "For us now, the most important thing is to focus on the Bahrain game." Houghton said.

　 In a group where the only ticket for Sydney is considered as a two-horse race between China and South Korea, outsider Bahrain may turn out to be the deciding factor on the group configuration, Houghton assumed.

　 "It's dangerous to think this tournament is just two games against South Korea. To lose against Bahrain would just be like to lose against South Korea," he said.

　 Reminding a packed room of reporters who are still preoccupied with the Seoul game seven days ago that this is a pre-game press conference rather than a post-game one, Houghton pointed out:"Preparation for this game started the day we came back from South Korea, and now the concentration is on the Bahrain."

　 Having lost the initiative of the four-game qualification campaign after the Seoul defeat, China now bets on securing all six points -- home and away -- at the expense of Bahrain and posting a famous victory over South Korea on home turf on October 29.

　 Not only does China face a must-win situation tomorrow night, they will also have to notch up as many goals as possible because goal difference, very possibly, would have the last say over the fate of the Chinese and South Korean teams.

　 An ever cautious Houghton, though, warned against dwelling on goal difference when the result is still in the air.

　 He also refused to take it for granted that South Korea would get everything they want on the last day of the Group B qualifiers from a Bahrainian side which was assumed by many to have been out of contention by then.

　 In a schedule believed to be an advantage, South Korea takes on Bahrain on November 3 in their final game which may be closely followed by the Chinese Olympic side, who will have already finished all their group matches.

　 "It won't be as quite easy as that. Bahrain is not Bangladesh or Cambodia, and would not be laid down (by South Korea) and beaten by five or six goals."

　 "So, we've still got everything to play for," Houghton said. (Xinhua)