Wed, Apr 20, 2016 page20

• French coach hopes to helm Taiwan

  • By Jason Pan / Staff reporter
  • • 
    • 
    • 

  The search to fill the head coach post for the men’s soccer national squad went into overdrive with convening meetings to assess applicants to replace Chen Kuei-jen, who had resigned, and a final decision is to be made by the end of this month.

  Officials at Taiwan’s Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) said they are confident of finding the right person for the job, having received numerous applications from Taiwan and countries with high-level pro leagues, including a number of foreign head coaches with a wealth of international experience.

  CTFA officials speaking to the Taipei Times denied media reports that former Japanese coach Satoshi Imai would be appointed as a temporary replacement, saying they are looking for long-term success and stability for the team.

  A meeting is to be convened today to review all applicants and make initial assessments, officials said, then the selection committee will conduct telephone interviews to shortlist the top choices, before members vote on a final decision later this month to get the national squad training for the Asian Cup qualifiers in June.

  Among the pool of talent, David Camhi, an experienced Frenchman who has coached in Taiwan, China and Africa, has presented his credentials, saying that he aims to bring a more professional approach to the national team and better organized soccer in Taiwan at all levels, and that he would aim to qualify for the Asian Football Cup and other major international competitions in the coming decade.

  In addition to French, Camhi can speak English and Chinese, and is currently the head coach of Baotou Luzheng in China League Two. He was assistant head coach of Taiwan’s national team in 2012.

  Formerly a deputy to the famed “White Witch Doctor” Philippe Troussier in China and Africa, Camhi has held various team management positions across several continents.

  He has a solid familiarity with the local soccer scene, having devoted himself to developing the game after arriving in Taiwan in 1998, and is the co-owner of Master Football Academy, a youth soccer program in Taipei.

  “Taiwan’s national team have learned to play better football in recent years, but not enough in offensive football yet,” he said in an interview via e-mail. “Now, they need to learn how to win. This is a bigger step than what most people think. Taiwanese players have the level to control and manage the ball better in every area on the field. To do so, they need confidence in their ability. Then they can achieve more by shaping their own playing style.”

  He said Taiwan can achieve many things in soccer, which could also aid international diplomacy, and can become a “normal” soccer nation by improving and gaining some positive results. He said his long-term goal is for the national squad to qualify for the World Cup.

  For CTFA officials, Camhi’s familiarity with the main Taiwanese players would be a big plus.

  “I have coached most of them in 2012 when I was with the Taiwan national team, and still give them advice,” he said. “I am also very close to Chen Po-liang, whom I brought to China in my team [Shenzhen Ruby of the Chinese Super League] in February 2012.”

  Camhi also points to his language ability, as he is one of only a handful of foreign coaches in China who speaks Mandarin, which makes a huge difference when communicating with players and team staff and for adapting to the local culture.

  He knows Taiwan’s star player Xavier Chen well. Chen is of Belgian-French-Taiwanese descent.

  “We speak in French with each other. I have met him before he first played for Taiwan. We are still regularly in touch,” he said.

  Camhi touted his previous international success.

  “In China and also in Africa, I was assistant to Troussier, who has coached seven different national teams and been to two World Cups [as head coach of Japan in 2002]. We together reached the 2014 African Champion’s League semi-final. I have good relations with lots of foreign and Chinese coaches in China, including China’s national teams,” he said. “We get together to discuss and exchange ideas all the time, and learn from each other.”

  Taiwan can take lessons from Hong Kong with a foreign coach appointment, Camhi said.

  “Hong Kong has made its football revolution by bringing in Englishman Mark Sutcliffe as chief executive of HKFA [the Hong Kong Football Association] in 2012,” he said. “They were at about the same level as Taiwan, but four years later, Hong Kong had progressed into the second round of 2018 World Cup qualification.”

  He said he looks forward to foster a more cosmopolitan atmosphere for Taiwan.

  “Dragan Stojkovic [Yugoslavian legend at Red Star Belgrade and Olympique de Marseille] and Luis Filipe Scolari are now both coaches of different teams in Guangzhou,” he said. “They meet sometimes in the same coffee shop to discuss football. That kind of world soccer culture does not yet exist in Taiwan.”
• Most Popular

  • 1

    Chinese technicians join airport MRT project

  • 2

    A train for whom? Is a new monorail helpful for Cairo?

  • 3

    Apple is giving Intel’s turnaround some momentum

  • 4

    Taiwan firms eye Philippines amid shift to non-China supply chains: CIER

  • 5

    Kinmen probes potential Chinese sex spy