MYANMAR has been given the daunting task of overcoming China in its first step towards the 2010 World Cup, according to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) draw on August 6.

Myanmar will play China in two home-and-away matches in October, with the aggregate winners advancing to the next round.

Tenth seeds China will be looking to prove a point against Myanmar – seeded 42 out of 43 countries in the Asian continent – after suffering a humiliating first-round exit at the Asian Cup in July.

“It’s going to be very difficult to beat China and our players are going to have to try very hard,” said U Soe Myint Lwin, a technical director with the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF).

“But it will be a good chance for our players to build up some experience.
“We have to keep our focus on the good experience our players will get from this, which will prepare them for coming international events. This is a good opportunity for us,” he said.

Myanmar will head to China for its first match on October 8, before returning home for the second leg on October 28.

China, momentarily rudderless after coach Zhu Guanghu resigned amid a barrage of criticism from fans and local media, was last week tipped to be taken over by Serbian Ratomir Dujkovic, who has been overseeing the country’s under-23 Olympic squad.

The team has never before been seeded outside the top five. The top five teams – Australia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Iran – are all given a bye into the third round.

Myanmar has faced China twice in recent years, both friendlies. China won 5-0 in 1997 and 2-0 in 2004.

The Myanmar side, if it actually takes to the pitch, will be entering uncharted territory. Myanmar has never before played a World Cup qualifying match and after withdrawing from preliminary rounds in 1994 and 1998 the country was barred from making an attempt for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

From 1950 to 1994, there was no attempt to make the cut for football’s most prestigious event.

But the road to South Africa 2010 marks a new era, the MFF said earlier this year, insisting it would “surely compete” in the preliminary qualifiers.

Of the 19 teams that make it through the first round, the lowest eight battle in the second round for four spots in the third round, while the top 11 move directly into the third round.

One factor working in Myanmar’s favour is that China will also have Australia on their minds between the Myanmar matches, with a friendly against the Socceroos lined up for October 13 in Sydney.