The Jinan Times reported the suggestion is part of efforts made by China's top sports authority, the General Administration of Sport, to ensure a possible success at the Beijing Games.

An official with the administration in charge of football said the world cup qualifying matches will surely help improve the competitiveness of China's Olympic football team.

Earlier reports said the administration has downplayed the achievements the Chinese national squad could make at the upcoming Beijing Olympics, saying it will be tough competing with world sport powerhouses like the United States and Russia.

However, the authority set a seemingly unrealistic goal for China's Olympic football team to snatch at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: a place in the last four at worst.

China's only football appearance in the Olympic Games was in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. But that team, under the guidance of Gao Fengwen, was later blamed by world governing body FIFA for lacking the aspirations of victory and having failed to score in three group matches.

Having the Olympic football team contest the 2010 World Cup qualifiers might give the Chinese side the shot in the arm it needs after having recently been embarrassed by its national squad's humiliating early exit from the Asian Cup finals, the paper added.

Disputes arouse around the country after the 2010 World Cup plan was exposed. Many argued that it's not desirable to jeopardise the result in the World Cup qualifying round only for a possible breakthrough in the Olympics.

Some players on the national team also objected to the idea. They suggested the authority follow the sport's principle as the underage players have physical limitations which might hinder their performance in the world cup battles.

China will play Myanmar in the first round of Asian qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

It is the first time China has not been listed as a top five seed and has to participate in the first phase of qualifiers.