2018 China Cup set to attract top players, say organizers

NANNING, China, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The 2018 China Cup International Football Championship, which will be held from March 22 to 26 in Nanning, capital city of South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is expecting to attract big names including Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani, organizers said here on Thursday.

The teams which have confirmed their participation in the second edition of the four-team China Cup include China, Uruguay, Wales and the Czech Republic. It is reported that team China head coach Marcello Lippi will bring his best available squad for the event.

China will play the opening game with Wales on March 22, and Uruguay will meet the Czech side on the next day. There will be a two-day break after that, and the football stars from the four teams are expected to interact with local fans and pupils in a series of activities during that time.

The winners of the first two games will progress to the final on March 26, and the losing sides will compete for third place on the same day.

Li Yvyi, vice president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), is comparing the China Cup with the former Intercontinental Cup, saying that the organizers should work hard to turn the China Cup into one of the world's premiere world-class football tournaments.

The China Cup, launched by the Wanda Group and the CFA, is an A-grade international event acknowledged by the world football governing body FIFA. Enditem