China loses preparation game 2-1 to Swiss champions Basel

The Chinese national team this Thursday continued their pre-season preparations with a game against top Swiss side FC Basel in the Spanish city of Marbella.

The reigning Swiss champions, who are currently second at the midway point of the season and have also reached the knockout phase of the Europa League, were always going to prove tough oppositions for Jose Antonio Camacho's side.

In a game watched by Guangzhou Evergrande coach, Marcelo Lippi, Basel took an early lead through their Chilean international Marcelo Diaz.

The Chinese players, under the close watch of Camacho and his assistants, were working hard, but struggling against a team that has already played half of its domestic season and 18 minutes into the second half, Frei Fabian, a Swiss international midfielder, scored Basel's second goal of the game.

It was looking tough for China, but Gao Lin, who plays for Guangzhou, pulled a goal back eight minutes later to give them hope of getting a draw, although Basel were able to hold on for a narrow 2-1 win.

China will now play a friendly game in Oman on January 30 before starting their qualification matches for the 2015 AFC Asia Cup, with that campaign kicking off away to Saudi Arabia a week later.