‘China’s Maradona’ carries nation’s World Cup hopes

BRAZILIAN star Oscar labelled him “the best Chinese player” and for most of his career he has carried the burden of being called “China’s Maradona”.

Wu Lei will need to show why today if China are to keep their wafer-thin World Cup 2018 hopes alive in a must-win encounter with Uzbekistan in Wuhan.

Wu upstaged his 60-million-euro teammate Oscar in Shanghai SIPG’s 4-0 mauling of Guangzhou Evergrande in their AFC Champions League quarterfinal first leg last week, scoring twice in three minutes and winning a penalty.

The 25-year-old’s first was a classy solo effort that demonstrated why he does not look out of place alongside Oscar and Hulk at Shanghai SIPG – and why he is central to China’s footballing future.

China’s 2006 World Cup-winning Italian coach Marcello Lippi alluded to Wu’s vital importance this week when he said that he was woefully short of out-and-out goal-scorers.

“We don’t have strikers. On paper I don’t even have one striker, I have to make players from other positions play striker,” said the 69-year-old Lippi.

Step up winger-cum-forward Wu, who last year was nominated for Asian Player of the Year.

Wu became the youngest ever Chinese professional when at the age of 14. He has a ratio of roughly a goal every two games for his Shanghai club.

This season he has been even better, scoring 19 times and grabbing eight assists in 31 appearances.

He is as prolific for his country – seven goals in 43 appearances – but is likely to be