China coach Branko Ivankovic vowed on Monday that his team would bounce back in Tuesday's FIFA World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia after a 7-0 loss to Japan last Thursday.

Branko Ivankovic (C), head coach of China, attends a press conference prior to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers match between China and Saudi Arabia in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Sept. 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)

"After four days, all our players have recovered from the loss physically and mentally. We have to bottom out and restore our form as soon as possible. This group is very difficult, and we need to try our best to get better results tomorrow," Ivankovic said at the pre-match press conference.

Facing Asian powerhouse Saudi Arabia, one of the favorites to win qualifying Group C, Ivankovic noted that his team's top priority is to focus on defense.

"Saudi Arabia have qualified for the World Cup multiple times. At the 2022 World Cup, they defeated Argentina in their group match. Their head coach Roberto Mancini led Italy to win Euro 2020. He is a coach of champions," Ivankovic said.

"We need to have good performances on both ends, and a better defense is the fundamental thing," he added.

Mancini's side drew with Indonesia 1-1 in their opening match. The Italian coach said his team needed to improve their scoring abilities.

"The China-Japan match is a different match. We believe China will be better tomorrow. We need to focus on ourselves and try to win the match," he noted. 

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