China coach warns ‘gap’ ahead of Women’s Asian Cup title defence

As China prepares to defend its Women’s Asian Cup title, the country’s once-proud women’s football program finds itself languishing near the bottom of global rankings. Head coach Ante Milicic, who took over this year in May, acknowledges that his team is struggling to catch up with top-tier competitors like Japan and Australia.

The tournament kicks off on March 1 with the Asian Cup, featuring strong contenders including Japan, North Korea, and Australia, the hosts. China, despite its recent history as champions, now ranks just 17th in FIFA’s rankings—having peaked at fourth place several years ago. The country faces a significant challenge in recapturing past glory.

Milicic’s tenure has been marked by disappointing performances. In the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, China narrowly missed advancing to the group stage. They failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics and were humiliated with an 8-0 loss against England earlier this year. Despite their title defense under way, Milicic sees a daunting task ahead.

“I am honored to lead such a large country with a population as passionate about women’s football,” he told the Asian Football Confederation website. “It is indeed a huge responsibility.”

Under Milicic’s guidance, China has struggled against more modern and well-funded teams in Europe. Their 8-0 drubbing by England at Wembley highlights this disparity. Milicic notes that European women’s football has advanced to a significantly higher level over recent years.

China’s defense of their title begins on March 3 with an encounter against Bangladesh, the tournament debutants. In Group B, North Korea and Uzbekistan also compete for one of the top spots.

With mounting challenges and rapid advancements in other regions, China must now prioritize building its national team to match the standards set by European football. Milicic’s leadership is key as they look to narrow the gap and avoid a repeat of previous disappointments in international competition.