China and Portugal have both reached semi-finals of the football U21 Toulon Cup in France after a goalless draw against each other.

Portugal is a tournament favorite, since some of its players are members of European powerhouses.

Portugal was in the driving seat, but failed to convert their continuous attacks into tangible results.

Both teams settled for a goalless draw at the final whistle and reached the semi-finals as the top two teams of their group.

In another match, Argentina beat the Czech Republic 2-0, but not enough to make the semi-final. Argentina had one win, one draw and one loss in the group.

France's globe-trotting soccer coach Philippe Troussier said he would like to make China one of the world's top 20 teams in 10 years, if he is selected to coach the nation's Olympic side.

"I hope the China Football Association (CFA) can sit down with me face-to-face and discuss this."

Troussier, who recently converted to Islam and changed his first name to Omar, made the remarks on Thursday at a press conference for Chinese journalists in Toulon, after watching China's team beat Argentina 1-0 Wednesday.

Troussier, who coached Japan to the last 16 of the 2002 World Cup, tops the list of candidates for the China manager's job.

So far negotiations for the position have only been held between agents, reports said.

"Troussier has not come to Beijing yet because of some issues concerning his agent," the Beijing Daily Messenger quoted Yang Yimin, vice head of the CFA as saying.

"So far the CFA has not had any contact with him whatsoever."

Troussier told journalists that he was looking for a two-year contract to take him through to the Beijing Olympics and then for an extension to take the Chinese side through the World Cup 2010 qualifying competition.

"The salary is not a big issue," he reportedly said.

Besides Japan, Troussier has coached Qatar, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and South Africa.

Other candidates for the China job reportedly included Yugoslavs Milorad Kasanovic, who has coached Dalian Shide in China's Super League, and Liobu Petrovic, the former coach of Red Star Belgrade. Ilija Petkovic, the current coach of Serbia Montenegro, was also being considered, according to Titan Sports.

The CFA hope to name a coach for the Olympic team by the middle of May.

(AFP via China Daily and CRI English May 20, 2006)