The
2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of
AFC Asian CupThe AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament run by the Asian Football Confederation . It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa América. The winning team becomes the champion of Asia and automatically qualifies for the FIFA...
. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in
ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The defending champions
JapanThe Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
defeated
ChinaThe China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...
in the final in
BeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
The tournament was marked by
Saudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
's unexpected failure to even make it out of the first round; a surprisingly good performance by
Bahrain' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, which finished in fourth place;
JordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, which reached the quarterfinals in its first appearance; and
IraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, which reached the quarterfinals. The final match between China and Japan was marked by post-match rioting by
ChineseChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
fans near the north gate of Beijing Worker's Stadium, in part due to controversial officiating and
anti-Japanese sentimentAnti-Japanese sentiment involves hatred, grievance, distrust, dehumanization, intimidation, fear, hostility, and/or general dislike of the Japanese people and Japanese diaspora as ethnic or national group, Japan, Japanese culture, and/or anything Japanese. Sometimes the terms Japanophobia and...
resulting from historical tensions.
Host cities and venues
BeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
|
ChongqingChongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
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JinanJinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...
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ChengduChengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
|
Workers StadiumThe Workers Stadium , often called Gongti or Gong Ti, is a multi-purpose stadium in the Chaoyang District of north-eastern Beijing, China. It is mostly used for football matches...
|
Chongqing Olympic Sports Center |
Shandong Sports Center |
Chengdu Longquanyi Football Stadium |
| Capacity: 66,161 |
Capacity: 58,680 |
Capacity: 27,333 |
Capacity: 30,800 |
| |
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Seeds
Squads
For a list of all squads that played in the final tournament, see
2004 AFC Asian Cup squadsSquads for the 2004 AFC Asian Cup played in China from 17 July to 7 August 2004.-=Head coach: Srećko Juričić:=Head coach: Arie Haan-=Head coach: Ivan Venkov Kolev:=...
First round
All times are China standard time (
UTC+8UTC+08:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +08:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .With an estimated population of 1.53 billion living within the time zone, roughly 22.5% of the world population, it is the most populous time zone in world, as well as a possible...
)
| Key to colours in group tables |
|
Group winners and runners-up advance to the quarter-finals |
Group A
| Team |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
2 |
6
|
5 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
4 |
2
|
3 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
−6 |
|
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
−2 |
----
----
----
----
----
Group B
| Team |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
6
|
5 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2
|
3 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
−4 |
|
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
−4 |
----
----
----
----
----
Group C
| Team |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3
|
6 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
1
|
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
−2 |
|
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
−2 |
----
----
----
----
----
Group D
| Team |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
4
|
5 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
3
|
4 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
1
|
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
9 |
−8 |
----
----
----
----
----
Knockout stage
All times are China standard time (
UTC+8UTC+08:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +08:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .With an estimated population of 1.53 billion living within the time zone, roughly 22.5% of the world population, it is the most populous time zone in world, as well as a possible...
)
Quarter-finals
----
----
----
Semi-finals
----
Third place playoff
Final
Awards
| Most Valuable Player |
Top Scorer |
Fair Play Award |
 Shunsuke Nakamurais a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos in J. League Division 1. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League and the second Asian...
|
 A'ala HubailOn 5 April 2011 A'ala Hubail and his brother Mohamed were arrested by the Bahraini authorities and held in custody on an indefinite basis. A'ala Hubail, a trained paramedic, had attended demonstrations during the 2011 Bahraini protests and had reportedly helped provide medical assistance...
 Ali KarimiMohammad Ali Karimi Pashaki better known as Ali Karimi, is an Iranian professional footballer who is currently playing for Persepolis in Iran Pro League. He was awarded the Asian Footballer of the Year in 2004....
|
|
All-Star Team
| Goalkeepers |
Defenders |
Midfielders |
Forwards |
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, sometimes referred to as Yoshi Kawaguchi, is a Japanese footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He is a former captain of the Japan national team.-Biography:...
|
Tsuneyasu Miyamotois a Japanese soccer player. He currently plays for Vissel Kobe but spent his career to date at Gamba Osaka in the J.League.-Career:He continued to study at Doshisha University well into his professional career, graduating and finishing his studies...
Yuji Nakazawais a Japanese football player who currently plays for J. League side Yokohama F. Marinos. He is a centre back. He is captain of both Yokohama F. Marinos and the Japan national football team. His nickname is "Bomber" because of his distinctive hairstyle...
 Zheng ZhiZheng Zhi is a Chinese professional association football player who currently plays for Guangzhou Evergrande. Starting his career as a defender, he would be moved into central midfield by his coach at Shenzhen Jianlibao and experienced immediate success there by winning the 2004 Chinese Super...
|
Shunsuke Nakamurais a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos in J. League Division 1. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League and the second Asian...
Shao JiayiShao Jiayi is a Chinese footballer currently playing for MSV Duisburg in the 2. Bundesliga. Previously, Shao played for Energie Cottbus and 1860 Munich, as well as starting his career with Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League...
Zhao JunzheZhao Junzhe is a professional Chinese football player currently playing for Liaoning FC. He represented the Chinese football team and appeared in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Personally Zhao is a descendant of Boolungga, brother of Giocangga...
Talal YousefTalal Yousif Mohammed , known mainly as Talal Yousif, is a Bahraini footballer. He currently plays for Al-Riffa.Yousif plays mainly as an offensive midfielder and sometimes as a striker...
|
A'ala HubailOn 5 April 2011 A'ala Hubail and his brother Mohamed were arrested by the Bahraini authorities and held in custody on an indefinite basis. A'ala Hubail, a trained paramedic, had attended demonstrations during the 2011 Bahraini protests and had reportedly helped provide medical assistance...
Ali KarimiMohammad Ali Karimi Pashaki better known as Ali Karimi, is an Iranian professional footballer who is currently playing for Persepolis in Iran Pro League. He was awarded the Asian Footballer of the Year in 2004....
Mehdi MahdavikiaMehdi Mahdavikia is an Iranian football player who plays for Damash Gilan in the Iranian Pro League. He has won Asian Young Footballer of the Year award in 1997, as well as Asian Footballer of the Year in 2003. He was the captain of the Iran national football team from 2006 to 2009, and currently...
|
Goalscorers
5 goals
A'ala HubailOn 5 April 2011 A'ala Hubail and his brother Mohamed were arrested by the Bahraini authorities and held in custody on an indefinite basis. A'ala Hubail, a trained paramedic, had attended demonstrations during the 2011 Bahraini protests and had reportedly helped provide medical assistance...
Ali KarimiMohammad Ali Karimi Pashaki better known as Ali Karimi, is an Iranian professional footballer who is currently playing for Persepolis in Iran Pro League. He was awarded the Asian Footballer of the Year in 2004....
4 goals
Lee Dong-GookLee Dong-Gook is a South Korean football striker, who plays for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in K-League.-Early career:Lee started playing football for Pohang Steelers, where due to his outstanding performance in his first season, he managed to make his debut for the South Korean national team making...
3 goals
Shao JiayiShao Jiayi is a Chinese footballer currently playing for MSV Duisburg in the 2. Bundesliga. Previously, Shao played for Energie Cottbus and 1860 Munich, as well as starting his career with Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League...
Zheng ZhiZheng Zhi is a Chinese professional association football player who currently plays for Guangzhou Evergrande. Starting his career as a defender, he would be moved into central midfield by his coach at Shenzhen Jianlibao and experienced immediate success there by winning the 2004 Chinese Super...
Ali DaeiAli Daei is an Iranian retired football player and former national team coach who currently manages a local Iranian team, Rah Ahan. He is a former captain of the Iran national football team, and is the world's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches...
Yuji Nakazawais a Japanese football player who currently plays for J. League side Yokohama F. Marinos. He is a centre back. He is captain of both Yokohama F. Marinos and the Japan national football team. His nickname is "Bomber" because of his distinctive hairstyle...
Keiji Tamadais a Japanese football player, who currently plays for the J. League team Nagoya Grampus.-Club career:Tamada entered Kashiwa Reysol from the Narashino High School in 1999. He accomplished the debut by the game against Avispa Fukuoka on March 13, 1999. He experiences the acquisition of the title of...
Imad Al-Hosni
2 goals
Husain AliHusain Ali Ahmed is a Bahraini football player known as Husain Pele. Currently playing for Muharraq Club of Bahrain and the Bahrain national football team, he was top goalscorer in the Bahraini premier league in 1998 & 2003 .-Goals for Senior National Team:-External links:*...
Mohamed HubailMohamed Hubail is a Bahraini footballer who was sentenced to a two year term of imprisonment by a special security court in Bahrain after taking part in pro-democratic reform protests in Bahrain in 2011.-Career:...
Talal YousefTalal Yousif Mohammed , known mainly as Talal Yousif, is a Bahraini footballer. He currently plays for Al-Riffa.Yousif plays mainly as an offensive midfielder and sometimes as a striker...
Hao HaidongHao Haidong is the current chairman of Tianjin Songjiang F.C. and a former Chinese international football player who was widely regarded as the best striker China has ever produced. Hao holds the record for being China's all-time leader in goals scored...
Li Ming
Javad NekounamJavad Nekounam is an Iranian footballer who plays for CA Osasuna in La Liga.Usually playing as a central midfielder, he is known for his passing ability, defensive acumen, ball distribution and powerful long-range shots. He represented his national team over 120 times.-Early years / UAE:Having...
Takashi Fukunishi Shunsuke Nakamurais a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos in J. League Division 1. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League and the second Asian...
Koji NakataKōji Nakata is a Japanese football player who played at both the Football World Cup 2002, and the Football World Cup 2006. He currently plays for Kashima Antlers in the J...
Ahn Jung-HwanAhn Jung-Hwan is a South Korean football player. He made world headlines by scoring the winning golden goal for South Korea against Italy in the 2002 World Cup second round, sending South Korea into the quarterfinals.-Football career:After starting his professional career with K-League's Busan...
Bader Al-Mutwa
Yasser Al-QahtaniYasser Saeed Al-Qahtani is a Saudi Arabian footballer who plays as a striker currently on loan with U.A.E. Al-Ain FC captains of the Saudi Arabian national team....
Begench KuliyevBegenchmuhammed Kuliyev| is a Turkmen football player. He was the top goal scorer of the Turkmenistan national football team in 2004.Kulyýew previously played for FC Kristall Smolensk in the Russian First Division during the 2001 season....
Alexander GeynrikhAlexander Geynrikh is a Russian-Uzbek professional footballer forward who plays for Suwon Bluewings and the Uzbekistan national team. He is of partial German descent.-Career:...
Mirjalol Qosimov
1 goal
Saleh FarhanSaleh Ahmed Farhan is a Bahraini footballer currently playing for Al-Riffa of Bahrain and the Bahrain national football team.He is of Syrian descent.-Goals for Senior National Team:-External links:*...
Duaij NaserDuaij Naser Abdulla is a Bahraini footballer currently playing for Al-Hala of Bahrain and the Bahrain national football team.-Goals for Senior National Team:-External links:*...
Li JinyuLi Jinyu is a former Chinese international association football player who predominantly played for Liaoning FC and Shandong Luneng as a striker in the Chinese Super League...
Li Yi
Xu YunlongXu Yunlong is a Chinese football player who currently captains Beijing Guoan in the Chinese Super League. He has also been a member of Chinese football team and was a participant at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.-Club career:...
Elie Aiboy Ponaryo AstamanPonaryo Astaman is a current Indonesian football player. He is also a currently Indonesia national football team players from 2003 until now. He was a captain for Indonesian football team. As a player, he already played for several clubs in Indonesia, such as PSM Makassar, Arema FC, Persija...
Budi SudarsonoBudi Sudarsono is an active Indonesian footballer. He normally plays either as an attacking midfielder or a forward...
Mohammad Alavi
Reza EnayatiGholamreza Enayati is an Iranian football player who currently plays for Saba Qom in Iran Pro League and former member of Iran national football team. He usually plays the striker position.-Club career:...
Mohammad NosratiMohammad Nosrati is an Iranian Football player. He currently plays for Persepolis and the Iran national football team.-Club career:He was one of many valuable players of PAS Tehran F.C., finishing the 2003/04 season as IPL champions....
Nashat AkramNashat Akram Abid Ali is an Iraqi professional footballer who is currently playing for Lekhwiya. He is an Iraqi international. He usually plays as a midfielder. Akram is one of Iraq's promising young prospects, and has been linked with Manchester City and Sunderland...
Razzaq FarhanRazzaq Farhan Mussa is an Iraqi footballer and Olympic athlete.Farhan has played for several professional clubs, including Qatar Sports Club and Al-Faisaly...
Younis MahmoudYounis Mahmoud Khalef is an Iraqi football striker who currently playes for Al-Wakrah. He was recently removed from his previous club, Al-Gharafa in Qatar despite being the top goal scorer in the league for the third time in five years. He is also the captain of the Iraq national football team...
Hawar MohammedHawar Mulla Mohammed Taher Zebari is an Iraqi Kurdish football player, who plays as Winger and Wingback positions for Zob Ahan in Iran. Hawar is known to be one of the best players in Iraqi national team and was a key figure in Iraq 2007 Asian Cup glory...
Qusay MunirQusay Muneer Abboodi Al-Hussein is an Iraqi footballer who is a midfielder for Qatar SC in Qatar and the Iraq national football team. Munir, the defensive midfielder of the Iraqi national team, is most noted for playing a big role in addition to playing every single minute in Iraq's successful...
Takayuki Suzukiis a Japanese footballer who plays for Mito HollyHock in the J. League Division 2.-Club:Suzuki has spent the majority of his playing career with Kashima Antlers, playing six stints for the team over the course of ten years, in between short periods playing in Brazil and Belgium. Suzuki played 87...
Anas Al-ZbounAnas Al-Zboun is a Jordanian footballer, who plays as a Striker for Al-Jalil and the Jordan national football team. He has always played as player number 13 of his clubs.-External links:**-References:...
Khaled SaadKhaled Saad is a Jordanian footballer who plays for Al-Faisaly and is a member of the Jordan national football team and has always played as player number 3 of Jordan and 12 of Al-Faisaly.-Career:...
Mahmoud ShelbaiehMahmoud Omar Shelbaieh is a Jordanian professional association football player of Palestinian origin, who is a striker for Al-Wahdat...
Cha Du-RiCha Du-Ri is a German-born South Korean professional footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League club Celtic. He can operate as a right back, right winger, or striker. Cha Du-Ri is also the first Korean player that was born outside of Korea to have played in a FIFA World Cup. Cha's...
Seol Ki-HyeonSeol Ki-Hyeon or Seol Ki-Hyun |Gangwon]]) is a South Korean professional footballer who plays for Ulsan Hyundai as a winger or striker. He is also the first South Korean footballer to score in the history of the UEFA Champions League, during his time at RSC Anderlecht.-Early career:At the end of...
Kim Nam-IlKim Nam-il or Kim Namil is a South Korean footballer. Kim is a defensive midfielder for Tom Tomsk in the Russian Premier League. He was virtually unknown before he became a superstar for his impressive defensive displays in the 2002 FIFA World Cup....
Bashar Abdullah
Magid MohamedMagid Mohamed is a Qatari footballer of Sudanese origin. He is a striker for Al Sadd. He has long played for Al Sadd and has been regularly called up for the Qatar national football team.-Goals for Senior National Team:...
Wesam RizikWesam Rizik is a Qatari footballer who is a midfielder for Al Sadd. He has Palestinian roots.-International career:...
Hamad Al-MontashariHamad Al-Montashari is a Saudi Arabian footballer for Al-Ittihad. Al-Montashari, a defender, was declared the 2005 Asian Football Player of the Year, defeating Uzbekistan and FC Dynamo Kyiv striker Maksim Shatskikh. With Al-Ittihad, Al-Montashari has won the 2004 and 2005 AFC Champions...
Sutee Suksomkit Nazar BayramovNazar Bayramov , is a Turkmenistani footballer born on September 4, 1982. He is currently playing for the club Qizilqum Zarafshon as a midfielder.He is a member of the Turkmenistan national football team.-Club career stats:...
Vladimir Bayramov Mohamed Rashid
Vladimir ShishelovVladimir Aleksandrovich Shishelov is an Uzbekistani-Russian football striker who plays for FC Fakel Voronezh in the Russian First Division....
Own goals
Park Jin-SeopPark Jin-Seop is a South Korean football defender who is currently play for Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Dolphins FC.Park has represented South Korea at youth level and part of the senior team squads as of 1998 to 2004 he played 35 times and all of his 5 goals scored against Nepal at September 29,...
(1) (
for Iran)
Rangsan Viwatchaichok (1) (
for Oman)
Top scoring teams
14 goals
13 goals
9 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
Final positions
|
Team |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
|
6 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
13 |
6 |
7
14 |
77.8% |
| 2 |
|
6 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
13 |
6 |
7
11 |
61.1% |
| 3 |
|
6 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
14 |
8 |
6
12 |
66.7% |
| 4 |
|
6 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
13 |
14 |
−1 |
6 |
33.3% |
| Eliminated in the Quarterfinals |
| 5 |
|
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
3
10 |
83.3% |
| 6 |
|
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
9 |
4 |
5
7 |
58.3% |
| 7 |
|
4 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
2
6 |
50.0% |
| 8 |
|
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
−2 |
6 |
50.0% |
| Eliminated in the First Stage |
| 9 |
|
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
1
4 |
44.4% |
| 10 |
|
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
−4 |
3 |
33.3% |
| 11 |
|
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
−6 |
3 |
33.3% |
| 12 |
|
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
−2 |
1 |
11.1% |
| 13 |
|
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
−2 |
1 |
11.1% |
| 14 |
|
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
−2 |
1 |
11.1% |
| 15 |
|
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
−4 |
1 |
11.1% |
| 16 |
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
9 |
−8 |
0 |
0.0% |
Views
Like other sports events, the Asian Cup 2004 was publicised as evidence of
ChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
's economic and athletic progress, being referred to by some as a prelude to the
2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. Many Chinese see the tournament as a success and take great pride in having showcased such an important sporting event in advance of the Olympics Games. However, the Japanese media and many other international observers have pointed out bad manners on the part of Chinese fans, and sparse attendance at the tournament, raising questions on China's ability to hold such sporting events.
Throughout the tournament, most Chinese fans in the stadia expressed anti-Japanese sentiments by drowning out the
Japanese national anthemis the national anthem of post-1868 Japan. It is also one of the world's shortest national anthems in current use, with a length of 11 measures and 32 characters. Its lyrics are based on a Waka poem written in the Heian period , sung to a melody written in the imperial period...
, displaying political banners and booing whenever Japan got the ball, regardless of the score or opponent. This was reported by the international media, and was aggravated when
Koji NakataKōji Nakata is a Japanese football player who played at both the Football World Cup 2002, and the Football World Cup 2006. He currently plays for Kashima Antlers in the J...
apparently knocked in the ball with his right hand in the final against China. The PRC government responded by calling for restraint and increasing police numbers to maintain order. The Japanese government also called on the PRC to ensure the safety of Japanese fans, while specifically asking Japanese nationals or people of Japanese origin to not display any form of excessive pride, especially wearing
Japan national football teamThe Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
uniforms. Despite the Chinese government's campaign, a riot started by Chinese fans broke out near the north gate of the Beijing Worker's Stadium, though reports differ as to the extent of the riot. As a result, some media groups have said that displays of "excessive
Chinese nationalismChinese nationalism , sometimes synonymous with Chinese patriotism refers to cultural, historiographical, and political theories, movements and beliefs that assert the idea of a cohesive, unified Chinese people and culture in a unified country known as China...
during the Beijing
2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
have become a cause for concern for Chinese officials".
External links