China Coach Fears the Boot Despite Dream World Cup StartChina's 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign has got off to a flying start - but coach Bora Milutinovic still believes he is only one bad result away from the sack.Milutinovic has faced mounting criticism this year over his style of management as China seek to secure a place in the finals of a World Cup for the first time. China's 3-0 home victory over the United Arab Emirates in their opening second round qualifying match last weekend silenced Milutinovic's critics. But the Serb coach thinks the win will count for nothing if his team lose their second Group B game, against Oman in Muscat on Friday. "If we lose this game I think that I'll be sacked," a philosophical Milutinovic said as his team prepared to face the Omanis. "I believe that my successor has already been chosen. He's just waiting to take my place if we lose," said Milutinovic, the only man to coach four different teams at a World Cup - Mexico, Costa Rica, USA and Nigeria. Oman have not played since forcing a hard-earned 0-0 draw away to Qatar in their opening game on August 16. Their hopes of registering a victory against China were dealt a blow by news that star striker Majdi Shaaban will definitely be out with an injury. Elsewhere Friday, China's two likeliest rivals for the automatic qualifying spot that will go to the winners of Group B - the United Arab Emirates and Qatar - face each other in Abu Dhabi. Like Milutinovic, Qatar's Bosnian coach Dzemal Hadziabdic is also feeling the heat after his team's slow start, which saw the draw with Oman followed by a surprise defeat away to Uzbekistan last weekend. Qatar FA official Ahmed Sleety fuelled speculation over Hadziabdic's future by remarking cryptically this week: "Everything will be decided after the match (with UAE). We don't want to say anything before." Hadziabdic's counterpart with the UAE, Abdullah Saqr, will meanwhile hope his side can recover quickly from the defeat against China. In Group A, new Saudi Arabia coach Nasser Al-Johar needs his side to make an immediate impression against Iraq if he is not to become the 12th coach in the past four years to be sacked by the Saudi FA's paymasters. Al-Johar stepped into the breach on Monday after Slobodan Santrac was axed following Saudi Arabia's earlier 1-1 draw with Bahrain and a 2-0 defeat by Iran in Tehran last Friday. Al-Johar is becoming accustomed to being called upon as a Saudi football fireman. He replaced Czech coach Milan Macala midway through the Asian Cup last year, guiding the team to the final. A similar recovery will be necessary to prevent Al-Johar going the same way as Santrac. Saudi play Iraq on neutral territory in the Bahrain capital Manama on Friday. Iraq, beaten 2-0 by Bahrain last week, have drafted in several players from their youth team for the game. In this weekend's other fixture, Group A favourites Iran will be confident of moving to the top of the pile with victory over Thailand in Bangkok on Saturday. |
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