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Chinese women football team eyes another win over Philippines in 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup

Xinhua,April 08, 2018 Adjust font size:

AMMAN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese women football team looks forward to another victory over the Philippines who beat host nation Jordan, said the head coach Sigurdur Ragnar Eyjolfsson on the pre-match press conference held on Sunday at King Abdullah II stadium in Amman of Jordan.

He refused to look beyond Monday's AFC Women's Asian Cup 2018 clash with the Philippines as he insisted to focus realistically on every match's result, not thinking about semi-finals or the final.

China began their campaign on April 6 with a comfortable 4-0 win over Thailand, which has lifted China to pole position in Group A ahead of the Philippines who win 2-1 over Jordan later.

"We had a good start thanks to the win against Thailand, but we now have to be ready to face the Philippines who are a well organised team," explained the Icelandic tactician.

"We are just concentrating on each match as it comes...We hope that we will be able to make China very proud of the team," he said, adding that anything can happen and the team should only look ahead to the next game.

The Chinese coaching staff have analysed the Philippines but for most team the coach couldn't expect his team to be always playing well in every 45 minutes, said Sigurdur Ragnar Eyjolfsson.

He disclosed that the left defender Xue Jiao, who was badly injured in the match against Thailand, has been dispatched by China Football Association to Germany for a surgery on Monday, adding that the team has to find a solution and he hopes the subsitute to be qualified.

The head coach of the Philippines, Rabah Benlarbi, who was on China's coaching staff at the last Olympics, has revealed that his Philippines players are motivated to succeed and then possibly guarantee their participation at next year's World Cup.

"I know China's players, and I know their strengths, and their weaknesses...For us, reaching the World Cup would be a great achievement," said the French coach who just took over the team less than a month ago. Enditem

 

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