China

Guus Hiddink Dismissed as China U23 Coach

Guus Hiddink has stepped down from his role as the head coach of China’s U23 National Football Team, according to this report from the South China Morning Post.

His dismissal comes after the side lost 2-0 to Vietnam on home soil earlier this month, and disrupts their preparation for the upcoming AFC U23 Championships in Thailand next January – a tournament which also serves as qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Hiddink’s team qualified for the tournament after topping a qualifying group featuring Laos, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The side managed wins over the former two and a draw with the latter during that campaign.

However, Hiddink came under fire after the side struggled at the Toulon Tournament in France back in July. China failed to make it out of the group stage, while their continental rivals Japan made it all the way to the final before losing to Brazil.

The U23 side will find out their Group Stage opponents for the upcoming continental championships in Thailand on the 26th of September, and face friendlies against Colombia and Peru before the end of the year.