Asian champions Iraq and China draw 1-1

Dubai: Asian champions Iraq, down to 10 men for the final 20 minutes, battled to a 1-1 draw with a new-look China here on Wednesday in their opening game of the qualifying campaign of the 2010 World Cup.

After a scoreless first 45 minutes, Iraq, fielding a team based on the squad that won the Asian Cup last year, took the lead through a 50th-minute penalty from Hawar Taher.

But China, with a team rejigged by newly-installed Serb coach Vladimir Petrovic, hit back with 15 minutes of the game remaining through on-form captain Zheng Zhi, the Charlton Athletic midfielder.