The 2002 FIFA World Cup winning manager and current coach of the Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande Luiz Felipe Scolari is reported to be among the favorites to fill in the vacant post of China's national football team manager.

According to Xinhua news agency, the 67-year-old Brazilian has been shortlisted together with Spaniard Gregorio Manzano, who formerly managed the La Liga side Atletico Madrid and Marcelo Lippi, Italy's 2006 World Cup winning manager

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The post of national coach has been made vacant last January following the termination of the Frenchman Alain Perrin for a poor run of results during his reign in the Chinese men's national football team.

In June, the veteran mentor Scolari was appointed manager of the Guangzhou Evergrande that currently competes in the Chinese Super League, the country's premier professional football competition. Since his appointment to the job, the Brazilian coach has enjoyed instant success.

Under Scolari's watch, the Guangzhou, Guandong-based club have claimed the national league and the premiere club tournament in Asia, the Asian Champions League. With the Brazilian's management, China was able to secure the fourth place at the FIFA Club World Cup that was held in Japan with Barcelona being the champions.

Though the Evergrande's manager is one of the "leading candidates" for the China job, current Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua coach Manzano is also a front-runner.

"Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, who led Shanghai SIPG to second place in last year's CSL standings, is said to have ruled himself out of the running." The report of Sportskeeda stated.

China is currently third in their group in the second phase of the Asia confederation's World Cup qualifiers, behind Qatar and Hong Kong.

Other contenders that were recently reported to join the race for the position are, Zico of Brazil, Argentine mentor Bielsa, former Italy coach Cesare Prandelli, former Portugal coach Paulo Bento, former Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli, coach Walter Mazzarri of Inter Milan and former China coach Gao Hongbo.

TagsGuangzhou Evergrande, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Chinese Super League