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China head coach Gao Hongbo is looking to the Olympic Games for inspiration as he seeks to prove the national football team are no pushovers when they kick off the final phase of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup against South Korea on Thursday. The Chinese have a wretched record against the Koreans, having won just once against the nine-time World Cup qualifiers and with that victory coming in the East Asian Championship in Tokyo in 2010 during Gao's previous stint in charge. But he believes his team can learn from the goal medal-winning performances of China's women's volleyball team at the Olympic Games earlier this month as the country seeks to qualify for the World Cup for only the second time. "Everyone in Korean football thinks that within Chinese football we lack fighting spirit and we give up easily," Gao said. "But I'm hoping this time we can show an improvement in this area. "China's women's volleyball team won the Olympic gold medal as an underdog in Rio. They fought with solidarity, and realised all of their potential. They are the best role model for us, and we have been inspired greatly by them. Now it is our show." Successive Chinese national squads have been criticised for being mentally weak as the country has failed to match its undoubted potential on the Asian and global stage. China's only appearance at the World Cup to date came in 2002 when they qualified after Japan and South Korea were given automatic slots as co-hosts, and since then the Chinese have failed to advance to the final phase of Asia's qualifying competition on three occasions. This time around the team only managed to scrape through to the last round as one of the best-placed runners-up in the previous round despite being drawn in a group that featured Qatar, Hong Kong, the Maldives and Bhutan. Frenchman Alain Perrin lost his job as a result of the disappointing performances and Gao has returned to the helm having previously been pushed out of the role back in August 2011 in favour of Jose Antonio Camacho. "My goal as head coach is to qualify for Russia 2018," said Gao, whose team will also face Iran, Uzbekistan, Qatar and Syria in Group A of Asia's final phase of qualifying. "We are not here just as a training partner for our opponents. The mentality of chasing the win is essential for every coach and player. Our ultimate goal is to qualify for the World Cup. "Of course, the qualifying campaign is a year-long so we will develop our strategy accordingly. "Football is about balance. It matters the most that we find the balance. For the game on Sept. 1, we will do our best to get a good start and I hope we have the support of the Chinese fans so we can have a healthy atmosphere that we can carry throughout the campaign."
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