SYDNEY, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The China women's national football team is determined to convert two years of rebuilding into a serious title challenge at the upcoming 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup, head coach Ante Milicic said.
"In the end, the goal is to get to the final," Milicic told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on Thursday. "You're going to have tough games and you have to be prepared and ready to beat whatever team is in front of you."
China began preparations in Sydney before traveling to Newcastle for a week-long training camp that included two friendly matches designed to test tactical adjustments and build cohesion. The 26-player squad includes six overseas-based players.
"These are the 26 names that we are comfortable with that we feel can give us the best chance of being successful," he said.
Milicic praised the players' resilience and willingness to improve, describing them as eager learners who respond positively when united as a group.
"They're very resilient. They love working, they love learning," he said. "When they're together, they have such a strong belief. Hopefully, that will be able to work in our favor for this tournament," he added.
After winning the Asian Cup in 2022, the China women's football team has been through a relatively difficult period, failing to advance from the group stage at the 2023 World Cup, missing out on the 2024 Paris Olympics, and suffering a heavy defeat to England in a friendly match last year.
Born in Australia, the 51-year-old started to take charge of the Chinese team in 2024 and believed his past national team experience with the Australian U-23, U-19 men's and the senior women's teams will help China to regain glory.
"I've had the benefit of working with the Australian women's team, so I understand the national teams, the way to prepare for a tournament," Milicic explained. "At the same time, I can compare different teams in Asia."
When asked about the team's goal and the pressure of being the defending Asian Cup champion, Milicic said the squad must aim for the final.
"I know that there's a lot of pressure on this team, and this is sometimes hard for our players, but other teams will have pressure as well," he said.
He pointed to Japan, with more than 40 players competing in Europe and the United States, as one of the favorites, while noting that host Australia will also carry significant expectations.
"A lot of these teams will have pressure and expectations, but we just have to worry about Team China, worry about what we do, and that's the only thing that we can control," he emphasized.
The tournament will be staged across Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast, with 12 teams divided into three groups. Defending champion China has been drawn in Group B alongside Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and DPR Korea. China will open its campaign against Bangladesh on March 3.
"I want to respect every opponent, I want to prepare for this game so that we have the right mentality from the first minute, and then we just go game by game," Milicic said. ■
