The Wollongong Wolves will take their first steps into the lucrative Chinese market in more than a decade after locking in a trial with League One team Wuhan Zall FC next month.
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The club announced on Tuesday it will face-off against the Chinese promotion hopefuls in a one-off fixture at Perry Park, Brisbane on Saturday, February 10.
The match will be Wollongong’s first against Asian opposition since the club’s playing days in the old National Soccer League.
It comes as the Wolves continue to build their case for a return to the national stage as part of the A-League.
While the competition’s expansion has been put on the back-burner for the time being, it is hoped the match will help strengthen ties and open new doors in the Asian market.
"Anytime you develop a partnership in a market like China, it is very appealing," Wolves CEO Chris Papakosmas said.
"They are trying to aggressively push football over there at the moment and that's something we are keen to do over here as well.
"It's about providing pathways and possibilities for players to grow the game.
"Obviously we make no secret that we want to be in the A-League as well and we believe that's a matter of when and not if. Building these sort of relationships is undoubtedly a positive.”
Wuhan will stay in Australia for a two-week preseason training camp before taking on the Wolves in a friendly encounter. Papakosmas said the club plans to continue pushing for similar matches as well as other initiatives in years to come.
“It is just the start,” he said.
"We've had discussions with [organisers] JL International Sports for a while about opportunities in both Australia and all across Asia.
"We have other initiatives planned for the future, including some exciting possibilities for our region.
“We hope it’s the beginning of some great long-term partnerships and relationships between the two clubs.”
The fixture comes a month before the Wolves season begins. Veteran midfielder Nick Montgomery, who played alongside Wuhan coach Li Tie at Sheffield United, believes it will be a fantastic opportunity for the squad.
“We will have the majority of our senior players on deck and mix that up with some of our young, up and comers,” he said. “We will have a good, strong team on the park and will give a very good account of ourselves.”
Wollongong had their first trial match of the preseason last Sunday.
They beat NSW National Premier League 2 outfit Spirit FC 1-0 without regular starters Yuzo Tashiro, Montgomery and Peter Simonoski.
