Zheng positive before Asian Cup

China captain Zheng Zhi believes his squad¹ will still prove to be a major threat at the AFC Asian Cup finals despite a less than impressive buildup to the prestigious² tournament.

"I know that the national squad have shown some indifferent form in the past few friendlies but we are still on the right track and I believe we will be fully³ prepared when the Asian Cup starts," Zheng told the Asian soccer governing body's Web site: the-afc.com last week.

"I can feel the pressure that coach Zhu Guanghu is under and we want to alleviate⁴ that. So what I can do is to produce my best form to achieve that."

"I am hopeful of reaching the semifinals or even the finals and will be doing my utmost to help the national team achieve that goal."

Zheng impressed during a six-month loan at English Premier⁵ League side Charlton Athletic⁶ this year despite its unsuccessful fight against relegation⁷ from the top flight, scoring his solitary⁸ goal in the 2-0 home win over Newcastle United in March and winning praise as a creative force for the Addicks.

And the 26-year-old felt his time in England was extremely beneficial for him and will prove equally so for the national side.

However, despite becoming one of the most recognizable names in the China team, Zheng warned that it would be dangerous to think the squad is a one-man outfit⁹ and that he alone can drive the side to AFC Asian Cup glory.

"I don't agree that China's progression in the Asian Cup is dependent on my performance," he said.

"For one thing, other nations also have quite a few Europe-based players and they are also good enough to change a team's fortunes."

"We must find our best form during the tournament and it will be a competition decided¹⁰ on a side's quality rather than its reputation."

Zheng also revealed that he hopes to secure a return to English soccer sooner rather than later.

"I'm still not sure whether I will be able to return to the Premier League next season. Hopefully, it will work out for me before the Asian Cup," he said.