China is suffering from 'fear of Japan and South Korea'.

"Kong Han Zheng" and "Kong Ri Zheng" have become two phrases frequently mentioned in Chinese media in recent days, referring to the national football team's fear whenever they face Japan and South Korea.

China (in red) couldn't even make a single impression against Japan's "C team" - Photo: CN

Even the "C team" lost.

Within just a few days, the Chinese national football team suffered two humiliating defeats in quick succession, losing 0-3 to South Korea and then 0-2 to Japan, both in the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) Cup.

It's worth noting that this was worse than a loss, because South Korea and Japan only brought mediocre players to the tournament.

Indeed, 20 out of the 26 players called up by coach Hajime Moriyasu for the EAFF Cup 2025 are "new recruits" to the Japanese national team.

They are no longer young either, with the majority being between 24 and 30 years old. These players simply have never been called up to the national team because they lacked the necessary skills. Only at the EAFF Cup did they get a chance to be selected.

Similarly, 13 out of 26 South Korean players participating in the tournament are rookies. All the big stars like Son Heung Min and Lee Kang In are obviously absent, and even mid-table players like Paik Seung Ho and Oh Hyeon Gyu are staying home.

South Korea and Japan didn't even send their B teams to the EAFF Cup, only their "C teams". Yet, their C teams still easily defeated China.

The decline of Chinese football is nothing new, but the consecutive defeats against South Korea and Japan at all levels over the past 10 years have forced experts in the country to acknowledge a harsh reality.

This phenomenon is described by two terms, "Kong Han Zheng" (fear of Korea) and "Kong Ri Zheng" (fear of Japan), collectively known as "fear of Japan and Korea".

Immediately after the loss to South Korea, the IFeng Sports news site commented, "The fear of South Korea is so great that they even make mistakes when breathing."

Is it a matter of skill or mentality?

The term "Korean phobia" has appeared frequently in the domestic media.

An article on Sohu commented: "Eight years have passed since our last victory against South Korea at all levels of football. From the national team to the U16 team, we have all failed. This syndrome cannot be cured simply by changing coaches."

China (in white) lost to South Korea after just one set - Photo: XINHUA

Similarly, the term "Japan phobia" was also mentioned when analyzing the 0-7 defeat against Japan in the World Cup qualifiers last September.

In their last eight encounters with Japan, China lost seven times, with their only victory coming against Japan's "C team" at the 2022 EAFF Cup. But now, they can't even overcome that final hurdle.

Not only at the senior national team level, but also China's U23 and U20 teams have had poor records against Japan and South Korea. In their last five matches against South Korea's U23 team, China lost four and only won one, which was in a friendly match.

Against Japan U23, they also lost both matches last year. And at the 2023 AFC U20 Championship, the outcome was, of course, no different.

Han Qiaosheng, a veteran writer on Chinese football, analyzed on Weibo: "We are losing not only technically but also psychologically. Players are afraid of physical contact, don't dare to hold onto the ball, and constantly make aimless clearances. That's a sign of fear."

When asked about this fear, former coach Gao Hongbo shook his head helplessly and said, "It takes 10 years to close the gap in skill level, but just one year of poor mentality can cause everything to fall apart."

In reality, Chinese football fans and experts have long accepted the fact that they are far behind South Korea and Japan in terms of skill level. Their bitterness stems from the fact that they consistently lose whenever they face these teams, regardless of the circumstances.

In the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, South Korea drew with Oman, Jordan, and Palestine (both in the first and second legs). This was a crucial stage, so South Korea always fielded their full strength, showing that the Middle Eastern teams weren't actually that formidable.

Conversely, in the less crucial second stage, South Korea, playing cautiously, still easily defeated China in both encounters.

And the recent victory with the "C-team" was the final straw. Chinese fans bitterly accepted the reality that even decent players in South Korea and Japan are far superior to their national team's level.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/trung-quoc-dau-don-vi-chung-so-nhat-han-20250713155737194.htm