China are looking to lift the silverware for the first time while defending champions Japan are intent on keeping it out of their arch rival's hands.

While the players will be trying to focus on the football, the match has assumed political connotations with senior leaders from both countries chipping in with comments about the booing antics of Chinese fans.

Japan's team and national anthem has been heckled throughout the championship, with spectators pelted by plastic bottles as China bristles about Japan's war-time past.

Tokyo made a formal protest while China hit back with its own complaints over a gaffe that saw Taiwan identified as its own country in the Japanese Football Association's Asian Cup media guide.

Fears that the fans' behaviour could overshadow the finale have prompted tournament organisers to draft in more than 1,000 extra police to ensure there are no ugly scenes in the stadium.

It will be a grudge match in more ways than one.

While China's fans will be anxious to put one over their neighbour because of its war-time past, the team will want to overturn a record that has seen them lose to Japan on six of the last eight occassions.

This includes Japan's 3-2 semi-final triumph at the last Asian Cup in Lebanon four years ago, with Japan going on to take the title.

Chinese coach Arie Haan is facing injury problems that could leave him without captain and defensive lynchpin Li Weifeng and veteran striker Hao Haidong.

Both players are vital cogs in the Chinese machine, with Li instrumental in China only conceeding three goals in the competition. Hao, meanwhile, is the talismatic front man who inspires the rest of his team.

"Besides Hao Haidong, Li Weifeng has broken ribs. According to the present situation, it will be very very difficult for him to play on Saturday," Haan was quoted as saying by the Chinese press.

"As coach, I only have three substitutes, besides Li Weifeng and Hao H Haidong, Shao Jiayi is also injured. Given all of these injuries, I will have to make some difficult choices."

Japan coach Zico has his own selection worries and will have to do some juggling with midfielder Endo out of the reckoning because of his red card against Bahrain in their rollercoaster semi-final.

Meanwhile, Keiji Tamada who scored twice against Bahrain, is struggling with a bruised knee.

Zico, who lit up international football with Brazil during his heyday, has never lifted a trophy as a coach and wants his hands on the cup.

"Some coaches relax once they've got in the final, but that's not my style. If you're in the final, you have to win," he said.

"That's my mentality.

"I think that although the stands will be full of 66,000 Chinese fans, we will bring the attack to China. We have 11 fierce players who are going to do everything to win. This will be a very good match," he told Japanese press.

Midfield star Shunsuke Nakamura said Japan would try to exploit space out wide and get behind the Chinese defense.

"China's four back defenders are tall and can head the ball, but on the wings they give you a lot of space, so I think we have to have the courage to play inside," he said.

With the political reverberations hanging heavy over the game, Haan urged his players to focus only on the job in hand.

"At this time, I hope my players don't think too much about these things," he said. "They want to direct all of their concentration to the football field to beat Japan and win the championship."

Zheng Zhi summed up the feelings in the Chinese camp.

"A game like this, the final match, everyone wants to play, everyone wants to play in the crucial matches, this is a historic match," he told reporters.

"More importantly it is against Japan. Everyone on this team wants to play, including myself, I really want to beat Japan."