Shanghai Shenhua Face Continuous Setbacks, Eliminated from Cup Competition, Mineiro Suspended for 3 Matches | CCTV to Broadcast Shanghai Port vs Beijing Guoan in CSL Round 26

[Shanghai Shenhua have faced continuous bad news from January to September this year]

In September, Shenhua were eliminated by Dalian Yingbo in the FA Cup. Before this, Dalian Yingbo had never beaten Shenhua. This year, Shenhua defeated the opponent 5-3 at home and 4-1 away, scoring nine goals in total, but unexpectedly were knocked out of the FA Cup. Malcom Biamou was unavailable for the match, and despite having a one-player advantage, Shenhua were kept scoreless by the opponent, who scored through a penalty. After the match, the Football Association suspended Shola Mineiro for three games and fined him RMB 15,000. This means Mineiro can appear in at most two more domestic matches for Shenhua. From the 10-point deduction at the start of the year, which disrupted recruitment plans and season KPIs, to Jiang Shenglong missing winter training and being ruled out for the season; Mineiro suffering an injury in the AFC Champions League in February; Gey, Li Ke and Mirolan getting injured in March; Gey being ruled out for the season in May, Manafa receiving a red-card suspension, and Teixeira missing two months due to injury, the team began facing a series of difficulties. Jin Shunkai suffered a serious injury in June. After the team lost three consecutive matches in July, Russian coach Slutsky resigned voluntarily. Chen Jinyi was injured in the match against Shandong Taishan in August and needs more than one month to recover. Shenhua's domestic targets have basically come to an end this year. The foreign players whose contracts expire this year are Manafa, Mineiro and Teixeira. Based on the current situation, Mineiro is almost certainly unlikely to receive a contract renewal.

[2026 FA Cup semifinals: Shanghai Port become title favorites]

The FA Cup semifinal matchups are Beijing Guoan vs Shanghai Port and Yunnan Yukun vs Dalian Yingbo. Shanghai Port's strong form deserves mention. When facing Shenzhen Peng City, they still won despite having Wu Lei, Yang Xi, Jiang Guangtai and Vital as substitutes. In the FA Cup match against Shandong Taishan, Shanghai Port defeated their opponents 3-0 with high pressing in the attacking area and high-intensity transitions. If Dawan is unable to appear in the FA Cup semifinal, Shanghai Port will become the biggest favorite to win the title.

[Three CSL Round 26 matches to be broadcast by CCTV] CCTV will broadcast three CSL matches this weekend: Shanghai Port hosting Beijing Guoan, Chongqing Tonglianglong vs Shenhua, and a Shandong Taishan match. Round 26 is very important for Beijing Guoan because they are currently second in the CSL standings. If they maintain that position until the end of the league season, they will have a chance to play in next year's AFC Champions League Two and increase revenue. Of course, if they win the FA Cup, they can participate in the AFC Champions League Elite. Beijing Guoan suffered significant losses in their previous match against Dalian Yingbo, with Dawan receiving a seven-match suspension. Shandong Taishan came from behind to defeat Shenhua 3-2 away in the previous round, with Maiwulang scoring a quick goal. Although they were eliminated in the midweek match, Shandong Taishan still have a chance to compete for second place in the league.