China's Olympic soccer team for the 2008 Beijing Games is expected to be set up by the end of this month.

The Chinese Football Association will hold a three-day meeting at the end of March to discuss future plans for the national teams.

The Olympic team's coaching group lineup will be announced at the meeting, as well as a detailed blueprint for the team in the next two years leading up to the Beijing Games.

The Olympic team is expected to play their first international friendly match in May in Changsha, the capital of central Hunan province, with the England youth team as the likely opponent.

Meanwhile, the CFA has also announced a European tour for the national team. They will rally in Beijing on April 30th, before leaving for Switzerland on May 1st to play the Swiss team on May 3rd and the French on May 7th. Discussions are still underway for another international friendly match in between against the Czech Republic.

(CRI English March 8, 2006)