China's Changchun Yatai vows to advance from group stage in AFC Champions League

CHANGCHUN, Northeast China, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese champions Changchun Yatai will do all their can to advance from AFC Champions League group stage, said the club's president.

"The club participated in the AFC Champions League on behalf of all the Chinese professional football teams, so we would never give up," Liu Yuming, board chairman of the Chinese Super League (CSL) champion, said at Monday's press conference.

Liu said that the club had expanded investment after Yatai won the Chinese Super League title last year, raising the investment budget of 2008 to 80 million yuan (10.67 million U.S. dollars).

Yatai beat Vietnam's Binh Duong 2-1 and held Australia's Adelaide United 0-0 in the first two rounds of group matches.

"The team did not play in a restrained way," Liu said. "Especially when they were playing with the Adelaide United. They showed their fighting spirit without national players on the team. They have brought honor to the nation."

"We might not always have national players Du Zhengyu, Wang Dong and Zong Le with us, as they would sometimes play in the national team. However, Changchun Yatai would not give up in AFC Champions League, and we will do our best to advance from the group, winning glory for the motherland," Liu said.

The team will be at home to entertain South Korea's Pohang Steelers on April 9th.