The CTFA has announced the reappointment of Englishman Gary White as head coach of Taiwan’s men’s national squad, who are preparing for an international friendly against Thailand on June 16 at the National Stadium in Kaohsiung.
White was previously in charge from September 2017 to September 2018 when Taiwan rose from the 140s to 121st in the FIFA world rankings.
Although there has been some negative reaction, the players have in the main welcomed White’s return, saying that he has good international experience from coaching in other nations and the team previously played well under him.
Photo: AFP
Michael Chandler, co-owner of Master Football Academy in Taipei, was positive about the reappointment.
“I believe Gary White’s reappointment as national team head coach makes sense. During his previous tenure, White had an immediate impact on Taiwan’s FIFA ranking, which is a promising sign of his ability to develop the team and bring out their potential,” Chandler said.
“As an experienced and successful coach, he can bring valuable knowledge and experience to the team, and contribute to the overall professionalization of football in Taiwan,” said Chandler, who has been a prominent figure in the promotion and development of grassroots soccer in Taiwan since 1999.
However, these are turbulent times for the CTFA after new chairman Wang Lin-hsiang cut its youth programs and secondary-level competitions due to financial shortcomings, reportedly NT$90 million (US$2.93 million) of debt.
The money problems got worse this week when the director for the women’s players’ union told reporters that the CTFA still owes it NT$1.25 million for travel and other expenses incurred when attending the qualifiers for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand in February.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Pei-yu is helping with the negotiations and yesterday the Sports Administration said it would assist and expedite the payment.
Meanwhile, in the Taiwan Football Premier League, Leopard Cat and AC Taipei are among the front-runners to challenge reigning champions Taiwan Steel Group (TSG).
Leopard Cat (formerly Tatung) in Taoyuan on Wednesday were held to a draw when Taichung Futuro grabbed a late goal to level the match at 2-2.
Leopard Cat forward Chen Po-hao dribbled past two defenders and the goalkeeper to fire home an equalizer on the hour mark after Futuro striker Lee Mao had opened the scoring in the first half.
Japanese midfielder Naoyuki Yamazaki gave Leopard Cat the lead from the penalty spot in the 74th minute, before former Japan international Takayuki Morimoto scored a well-timed header in the dying minutes.
AC Taipei had their three-game winning streak snapped, slumping to a 1-0 loss to Ming Chuan University, with the lone goal early in the second half a volley by midfielder Hsiung Yuan-kuang.
Leopard Cat FC and AC Taipei are in second and third place on 14 and 12 points respectively, behind leaders TSG on 21 points, after they picked up their seventh win of the season.
TSG fell behind at the end of the first half when South Korean striker Joo Ik-seong smashed in a fierce shot for Hang Yuan to take a 1-0 lead.
However, TSG forward Marc Fenelus notched two second-half goals, the first from a free-kick shortly after the break, then pocketed all three points with a thumping header with only three minutes remaining.
The other midweek result saw Taipower pick up just their second win of the season, a 3-1 victory over the Taipei Dragons.
In the women’s league, four teams are locked in a close race for the title after four matches, with Hang Yuan level on seven points with Taichung Blue Whale and Kaohsiung Sunny Bank, while Taipei Bravo PlayOne are only a point behind in fourth.
US President Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, is poised to make her LPGA Tour debut after receiving a sponsor invitation on Tuesday to the Nov. 13 to 16 tournament at Pelican Golf Club in Florida. “My dream has been to compete with the best in the world on the LPGA Tour,” Kai Trump said in a statement posted on the LPGA’s Web site. “This event will be an incredible experience,” she said. “I look forward [to] meeting and competing against so many of my heroes and mentors in golf as I make my LPGA Tour debut.” The 18-year-old high-school senior,
REACTION: Less than 24 hours after a 18-inning Game 3 loss, the Blue Jays’ win ensured that the best-of-seven series is to head back to Toronto for Game 6 tomorrow Vladimir Guerrero Jr on Tuesday blasted a two-run home run as the Toronto Blue Jays bounced back to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 and tie the MLB World Series at two games apiece. Less than 24 hours after a shattering 18-inning Game 3 loss, the Blue Jays climbed off the canvas to breathe new life into their hopes of a first MLB title in 32 years. Guerrero’s two-run blast off Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani and a superb pitching performance from ace Shane Bieber laid the foundations for a gutsy victory that silenced Dodger Stadium. “I’m always trying to compete
Jannik Sinner on Thursday eased past Francisco Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1 at the Paris Masters to set up a quarter-final clash with Ben Shelton, while reigning champion Alexander Zverev earned a straight-sets win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round. A maiden crown in the French capital would return Sinner to No. 1 in the world rankings after current incumbent Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock early exit at the hands of Britain’s Cameron Norrie. The Italian four-time Grand Slam champion is yet to drop a set in the tournament as he hones in on what would be a fifth title of the
Retired defender Jerome Boateng on Saturday pulled out of a planned coaching internship at Bayern Munich after fans voiced their objection due to the FIFA 2014 World Cup winner being found guilty of assaulting a former girlfriend last year. The former Bayern and Germany defender, who played for the club between 2011 and 2021, had discussed a short internship with coach Vincent Kompany. “Following the recent discussion regarding myself, I have decided to focus on my issues such as the A training license.... That is where my focus is,” he said in a social media post addressed to Bayern and
RSS