Chan Yuen-ting linked to China women’s coaching vacancy
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
China’s search for a new head coach of the senior women’s national team has quickly turned into a public debate, with Hong Kong’s Chan Yuen-ting among the names circulating after Ante Milicic left on Friday. The vacancy comes with little more than eight months before the Women’s World Cup in Brazil and with Olympic qualification still ahead for the Steel Roses
Key Points
- The Chinese Football Association has given itself less than a week to appoint a new senior women’s team coach after Milicic’s exit on Friday
- Chan, 38, became the first woman to lead Eastern to the Hong Kong Premier League title in 2016 and has since built a higher profile in mainland China
- She guided Jiangsu women to National Games gold last November, leads the club in the Chinese Women’s Super League, and has also worked with Suzhou’s local league team
- Chan has prior national-team experience, having coached China’s women’s under-16 side from 2019 to 2021
- Social media discussion has also mentioned former player Ma Xiaoxu, now coach of China’s women’s under-17 team, though the report said her senior-level experience is limited
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, Chan’s inclusion in the discussion underscores how a local coach has moved into the frame for one of the biggest jobs in Asian women’s football. The appointment will also shape China’s preparations for major tournaments after a year in which the team failed to retain its Asian Cup title and left the Asian Games without a medal