Nine players from the five-time Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande are set to represent the squad in China's national football team ahead of the Asian Football Confederation 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying game with Bhutan at the Helong Stadium in Changsha on Thursday, Nov. 12th.

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The Southern China Tigers players currently included in the national team are goalkeeper Zeng Cheng; defenders Zhang, Mei Fang, and Zou Zheng; midfielders Zheng Zhi (team captain), Yu Hanchao, Huang Bowen, and Zheng Long; and forward Gao Lin.

Xinhuanet reported the arrival of the Taobao Football Club mainstays to Changsha on Sunday in preparation for their mid-week match against Pema Dorji's Druk Eleven.

The Evergrande nine come fresh from a goalless draw versus the UAE's Al-Ahli Dubai F.C. in the first leg of the AFC Champions League final at the Al-Rashid Stadium in Dubai last Saturday, as reported by The National, The second and last leg of the encounter are set to be held at their home field of Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou on November 21st.

Following the Bhutan encounter, the Chinese team will face Hong Kong at its notorious Mong Kok Stadium on November 17 for a highly-anticipated battle between the two national teams.

Local football fans are ecstatic and looking forward about the match. There is already a shortage of tickets for the controversial game.

Midfielder Huang Bowen, a Hunan, Changsha native, is said to have a large following in the area and many are expected flock Mong Kok in support to their hometown hero.

With the AFC World Cup qualifiers sandwiched inbetween the AFC Champions League's two final matches, the nine Evergrande standouts will have to endure playing four games in 15 days for both club and country.

The Chinese national team, who have played four games so far in the competition, is currently on the no. 3 spot in Group C of the 2018 Russia qualifiers - points behind undefeated Qatar (15 points) and Hong Kong (10 points), who both have five games under their belts.

TagsChina national football team, Huang Bowen, AFC 2018 World Cup qualifers, Bhutan, Hong Kong