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"The level of Chinese soccer is relatively low," Xi humbly admitted. He also expressed his desire to elevate Chinese football.

"After winning so many gold medals in other sports at the Beijing Games in 2008, China is determined to make its soccer go to the top level. But this might take a long time," he concluded his optimistic and ambitious intervention in front of journalists.

A few days ago, the newly-elected Chinese President Xi Jinping wished Brazil good luck for the 2014 FIFA World Cup during an interview with a group of foreign journalists, according to China Daily. He also stated that the lack of grassroots development, as well as match-fixing and corruption scandals were ruining China's soccer image abroad.

He said that more work has to be done and that the nation has been eagerly waiting to see if the sport could see a rapid turnaround in China.

The task is not easy in a country where the men's team has slumped to 109 in the FIFA rankings, the lowest in its history.

Coached by Spanish Jose Antonio Camacho, the Chinese men's team won its last game on Friday. Hosting Iraq in Changsha for the 2015 Asian Cup qualifying, China won 1-0 with a goal in stoppage time.

"I appreciated the fans that came to support us on a rainy day. They are great fans," said Camacho, the former coach of Real Madrid. "I also thank my players who never gave up until the last minute. We were worthy victors."

"The victory means so much to us. We have been struggling in recent games. It will bring extra confidence to the players. Chinese soccer was in great need of a victory," said the the game's hero, Yu Dabao. "But we will face difficulties in the following games and have to fully prepare for them," added the scorer of the day.

Lots of fans still think that the team doesn't have much of a chance to qualify in the next Asian Cup. In a public poll on the website qq.com, almost half of the correspondents said Friday night's victory was due to luck and believed that China's hopes of finishing in the top two and advancing to the Asian Cup finals were slim.