Both Shao and Gao stressed the need for more professional coaches in China, with the latter calling for a greater emphasis on physicality.

"Youth training has always been the core issue," said Gao. "If our kids are to enter top international leagues, we have to train them to be more physical and confrontational on the field, both mentally and physically. A lack of aggressiveness has always been a weakness of our players."

Both men also agreed that the government's continued support for soccer here will play a vital role in producing better players.

Launched in 2016, the government's "Medium and Long-Term Plan of Chinese Football Development" outlines a multi-decade strategy to increase soccer participation in the country and stipulates a number of pragmatic measures to attain its goals, including pitch construction, favorable taxation policies for clubs and building 20,000 soccer academies by 2020.