Shanghai: Reigning champions Uruguay will return to defend their crown in the 2019 China Cup International Championship as host China PR kickstart their preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.



The third edition of the China Cup will run from March 21-25 in Nanning, southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region with China PR set take on Thailand on March 21, while Uruguay will open their title defence against Uzbekistan the following day.

China PR defeated Thailand 2-1 in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Round of 16 and a repeat performance will see Team Dragon advance to the China Cup final for the first time.

Jointly organised by the Chinese Football Association, the Guangxi Sports Bureau and the Wanda Group, this year’s tournament will serve as a warm-up for Team Dragon, whose focus will be the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, which kick-off in September.



Source: the-afc.com