PERTH, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese women's national football team arrived in Perth on Tuesday evening to prepare for its AFC Women's Asian Cup quarterfinal against Chinese Taipei.
Before the first training session after arriving, players said the team would keep pushing in the knockout stage, respect every opponent and focus on its own game.
Yuan Cong said the win over the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the final group match was important for confidence and "could be helpful for the upcoming matches."
"No matter how many matches we play in Perth, we hope to return to Sydney for the final," she said.
Yuan, born in 2000, joined Western Sydney Wanderers of Australia's A-League Women in September 2025. In January 2026, she scored for the club in an away match in Perth.
She said she still needs to improve in areas such as physical contests and the tempo of play in the A-League Women, and wants to "proceed steadily and take one step at a time" to improve.
Wang Aifang, one of the youngest players in the Chinese squad, said she was a little nervous in the first group match but then focused on giving her all and showing the energy of a young player.
"In the third match against DPRK, our whole team showed great spirit. Everyone fought hard, pressed actively and worked very well together," Wang said.
China will play Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The teams last met in the second round of the women's 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship in July 2025, when China beat Chinese Taipei 4-2.
Wang said the overall level of women's football in Asia is improving, but China is determined to keep moving forward in this tournament.
"We will not underestimate any opponent and will play our own game," she said.
The tournament's four semifinalists will secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil, while the four losing quarterfinalists will compete in playoffs for the remaining two World Cup berths. ■
