Taiwan coach Prasobchoke Chokemor yesterday was focused on his side’s preparations for today’s quarter-final against China at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, steering clear of a controversial incident in the stands earlier this week.
“We can say we did well against Japan, holding them to a 0-0 draw in the first half,” Chokemor told a pre-match news conference in Perth.
Taiwan went on to lose 2-0 against strongly fancied Japan in the group phase, but were by no means outclassed.
Photo: EPA
Today “will be a different game tactically, but we are confident we can compete against top-level players if we stay focused on ourselves and fight as a team,” the Thai added.
At stake is not only a semi-finals berth, but also 2027 World Cup qualification, with the top six finishers booking their tickets to the Brazil showpiece.
Taiwan have enjoyed strong support at the tournament in Australia, but it has not been without controversy.
Photo: AFP
During their game against India in Sydney, former Taiwan player and coach Chen Kuei-jen was ejected from the stadium for leading a “Taiwan jiayou,” or “go Taiwan,” chant.
His removal sparked a protest to the AFC from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over “unequal treatment.”
Meanwhile, China coach Ante Milicic urged his players to remain “calm and confident” in today’s game.
The reigning champions are targeting a record-extending 10th continental title, but are wary of opponents who have improved as the tournament has progressed.
“They gave Japan a very difficult game and then went on to win their next two matches, so we know this will be a tough proposition, but if we execute our game plan and perform to the level we know we can, that should be enough for us to get the result,” Milicic said.
“If we follow a clear process, remain calm and confident and take it one game at a time, we can be successful and hopefully go further in the tournament,” he added.
The first quarter-final was last night, with hosts Australia defeating North Korea 2-1.
South Korea face Uzbekistan in the third shortly after the Taiwan-China clash, while Japan take on the Philippines tomorrow.
Additional reporting by staff writer
Yu Yao-hsing on Tuesday nabbed Taiwan’s only goal in the final round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, as they fell 3-1 to Sri Lanka at Taipei Municipal Stadium. Early goals from Sri Lanka in the first half left Taiwan struggling to get on the board, and Christopher Tiao’s own goal at 53 minutes sealed the team’s fate in the third round of qualifiers. While acknowledging that the defeat, Taiwan’s sixth in Group D, was disappointing, head coach Matt Ross said he saw reasons to stay positive about the team’s development. “There were lots of positive signs in terms of the
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli yesterday vowed to “keep raising the bar” after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead the championship standings. The 19-year-old Italian took advantage of a mid-race safety car to jump into the lead after a dreadful start from pole position, crossing the line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli’s Suzuka victory came two weeks after the first grand prix win of his career in China, and sent him top of the championship standings after three races, nine points ahead of team-mate George Russell. Mercedes are struggling to
INDIGESTION: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia on penalties in a loss Gattuso said was ‘difficult to digest’ Coach Graham Arnold on Tuesday challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also secured their places at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the Middle East, sealed their first appearance at the finals in 40 years and are to play in Group I against France, Senegal and Norway. Goals from Ali al-Hamadi
Teng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese player on an opening-day roster in this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season, took his first win of the year with the Houston Astros in his season debut. Teng entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, with the Astros trailing 5-0. He pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, as Houston scored 11 runs during his outing to snatch an 11-9 comeback victory. The win is the Astros’ first of the season and the third of Teng’s MLB career. “It’s my first time pitching for the Astros, so
RSS