Soccer fans, netizens want Chinese team dismissed

New Delhi, June 21 (ANI): Close to 97 percent of the 50,000 Chinese netizens and football fans polled are demanding the sacking of the men's football team after watching the outstanding performances of the nation's neighbors' teams in the 2010 South African World Cup, an online survey said.

In the first round of the games, Japan beat Cameroon 1-0 and South Korea won over the Greeks 2-0.t the games in Johannesburg, South Africa, the North Korean team, which returned to the World Cup after 44 years, lost in a close-scoring game, 1-2, to the Brazilians, a team that is a five-time world champion.

The Chinese football team also faced the Brazilians in a World Cup game eight years ago, but lost with a score of 0-4.

During the Johannesburg games, Jong Tae Se, forward of North Korean team, cried over his national pride when his national anthem was played.

According to the China Daily, young netizens and fans last week made sharp comments at kaixin.com - the Chinese version of Facebook - in a forum titled, "Should the Chinese national men's football team be dismissed?"

As of Sunday, more than 50,000 people voted, with more than 97 percent in support of sacking the entire team.

Meanwhile, only about 1,500 supporters said "no" to the question.

Some said Chinese football will now get past its gloomy era, since a number of players and officials have been detained for game fraud and inside gambling.

Zhao Zhen, a reporter with 12 years of Chinese football reporting experience, told China Daily: "Strength and luck are two crucial factors in deciding whether a team can get on the World Cup stage. Our national team lacked both during past years. That's why the team had to watch the games at home." (ANI)