China Away 2008

Flag of China

First international: Philippines 2-1 China (1913)

Biggest win: China 19-0 Guam (2000)

Biggest loss: Brazil 8-0 China (2012)

Most capped: Li Weifeng (112 caps)

Top scorer: Hao Haidong (37 goals)

Star player: Zheng Zhi (Guangzhou Evergrande)

For a country with the largest population in the world you'd thought they'd have a pretty successful football team. With over 1 billion people in the country they only have one world cup appearance in 2002 to boast about in which they lost every game. They have also been the runners up of two Asian cups. In China football is widely followed as almost 300 million people tuned into their world cup games in 2002 and there were around 250 million viewers for the Asian cup final in 2004. The current China team does not have any players in it based outside of China. Not many of their players have really made it in different leagues apart from the likes of Sun Jihai at Manchester City and Zheng Zhi at Charlton. Recently they have been getting some good results with a 1-1 draw vs Ghana and narrowly losing 1-0 to Spain and Sweden. 

Germany Home 2008

Flag of Germany

First international: Switzerland 5-3 Germany (1908)

Biggest win: Germany 16-0 Russia (1912)

Biggest loss: England 9-0 Germany (1909)

Most capped: Lothar Matthaus (150 caps)

Top scorer: Gerd Muller (68 goals)

Star player: Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munchen)

Germany have been winners of the World Cup and European Championships 3 times with their most recent win being at Euro 96 in England. England and Germany have been quite fierce rivals over the years which often ends up in Germany being victorious apart from the 1966 World Cup and the 5-1 win at the World Cup 2002 qualifiers. In 2010 the ball clearly crossed the line at the World Cup between England and Germany but in 1966 it is arguable if the ball crossed the line for Geoff Hurst's goal. Germany currently have a good crop of young up and coming players and I'd expect them to be challengers at the 2014 World Cup.

Bahrain Home 2010

Flag of Bahrain

First international: Bahrain 4-4 Kuwait (1966)

Biggest win: Bahrain 10-0 Indonesia (2012)

Biggest loss: Iraq 10-1 Bahrain (1966)

Top scorer: Husain Ali (33 goals)

Star player: Husain Ali (Al-Muharraq)

Bahrain currently sit 102nd in the FIFA world rankings. They've recently been at the center of a match fixing scandal after needing 10 goals to qualify and they managed this with a 10-0 win over Indonesia but unfortunately they did not qualify as the other team won anyway and went through. Bahrain have been involved in 4 Asian cups and are currently managed by Englishman Peter Taylor.

South Korea Home 2006

South Korea at the 2006 World Cup

Flag of South Korea

First international: South Korea 5-3 Mexico (1948)

Biggest win: South Korea 16-0 Nepal (2003)

Biggest loss: South Korea 0-12 Sweden (1948)

Most capped: Hong Myung-Bo (136 caps)

Top scorer: Cha Bum-Kun (55 goals)

Star player: Son Heung-Min (Hamburger SV)

South Korea have competed in 8 World Cups and in 2002 shocked a lot of people by reaching the semi final of it. It was held in South Korea which probably helped the Koreans but on their way to the semi final they beat big countries such as Spain, Italy and Portugal before going out to Germany in the semi finals. In the 2010 World Cup they became the first Asian side to reach the last 16 on foreign soil to. Surprisingly, they have also been involved in 2 CONCACAF Gold Cups as they were invited along as one of the two teams from outside CONCACAF. They've also appeared in 12 Asian Cups winning 2 of them in 1956 and 1960 but have not managed to win one since then which could come as a bit of a surprise again as they are one of the best teams in Asia. 

Panama Home 2005

Flag of Panama

First international: Panama 2-2 Mexico (1937)

Biggest win: Panama 12-0 Puerto Rico (1946)

Biggest loss: Panama 0-11 Costa Rico (1938)

Top scorer: Luis Tejeda (34 goals)

Star player: Luis Tejeda (Juan Aurich)

Panama have competed in the CONCACAF Gold Cup 5 times and surprisingly reached the final in 2005 and in last year they reached the semi final. I remember watching the 2011 Gold Cup semi final and USA dominated the game and in the end managed to break through Panama's strong defence with Freddy Adu releasing Donovan before Clint Dempsey tapped in at the back post for a 1-0 win. I had a bet on the game which needed Mexico and USA to win to come through, Mexico did win, but not in normal time so I did not win and I was rather annoyed with Mexico after that. Panama currently sit 52nd in the world rankings and are often quite a good defensive unit. 

Morelia Home

I don't really know much about Mexican football apart from that all their shirts have a large amount of sponsors on which you can see here.

Lebanon Away 2009

Flag of Lebanon

First international: Palestine 5-1 Lebanon (1940)

Biggest win: Lebanon 11-1 Philippines (1967)

Biggest loss: Qatar 8-0 Lebanon (1985)

Top scorer: Wartar Ghazarian (19 goals)

Star player: Roda Antar (Shandong Luneng)


This shirt is actually quite plain for a football shirt but I still like it. The kit manufacturers A-Line are not very well known for making football kits and I believe this is the only country they have supplied them for.