CRI听力:Lack of confidence, scorer major challenge to Lippi's squad: expert

The Italian replaced Gao Hongbo, who resigned this month after a 2-0 defeat in Uzbekistan dealt a further blow to the country's slim hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

The appointment was announced just hours after Guangzhou Evergrande terminated its contract with the 68-year-old earlier in the day, clearing the way for the Italian to take the national team job.

No details of the contract have been revealed but Lippi will be introduced to the media at a news conference in Beijing on Friday.

Sports commentator Xiao Liangzhi revealed the champion coach accepted the job after being promised something uNPRecedented in the history of Chinese football.

"Lippi accepted the offer following careful consideration. He has been treated by the CFA in an uNPRecedented manner. The Chinese football watchdog has agreed with him over the issue of naturalized players and mandated his coaching team to take full control of the national team without any interference. In addition, his salary expectations will be met, too."

Lippi will be China's third coach this year after Gao Hongbo and Frenchman Alain Perrin, who was sacked in January.

His first match in charge will be the World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Kunming on Nov. 15.

The loss to Uzbekistan left China bottom of the six-team Asian Group A with one draw and three defeats after four of 10 matches in the round.

The top two qualify directly for Russia in 2018 with the third-placed side offered a passage to the finals via two playoffs.

Xiao Liangzhi said the most urgent goal for Lippi is to restore confidence among the Chinese players.

"A principle challenge to the national team is the lack of confidence. The winless results of the first four matches is not a very big problem, but after these defeats, the Chinese players have no confidence."

Finding players to bolster China's goal tally is believed to be another major problem.

Chinese players so far have scored just two in their first four matches, while of the top 13 goalscorers in the Chinese Super League, going into this weekend's round of matches, only one was Chinese.　

Still, Xiao believes Lippi is capable of turning the tide.

"It's believed Lippi is confident and will be able to win the match with Qatar. He knows Chinese football well due to his experience in Guangzhou Evergrande. He has established a mature tactical system and the only thing he needs to deal with is to find a competent lineup."

Lippi won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, enjoyed a successful three-year spell with Guangzhou Evergrande, winning the Chinese League title three times and the Asian Champions League in 2013.

At the national team level, Chinese football has been far from success for almost one and a half decades.

The country's only appearance in the world cup finals was in 2002 under the helm of Bora Milutinovic.