China coach tells players to stay ‘calm’ in Taiwan clash at Asian Cup

China face Taiwan in a highly charged quarterfinal at the Women’s Asian Cup, which already has a political focus.Published On 13 Mar 2026China coach Ante Milicic urged his players to remain “calm and confident” in Saturday’s charged Women’s Asian Cup quarterfinal against Taiwan.The reigning champions are targeting a record-extending 10th continental title but are wary of an opponent that has shown improvement as the tournament has progressed.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Trump says not ‘appropriate’ for Iran to participate in the World Cup in USlist 2 of 4First Iraq footballers granted visas by Mexico for FIFA World Cup qualifierlist 3 of 4What are the five key talking points surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2026?list 4 of 4Sensational Valverde hat-trick puts Real Madrid in command against Man Cityend of listTaiwan were beaten 2-0 by strongly fancied Japan in the group phase but were by no means outclassed.“They gave Japan a very difficult game and then went on to win their next two matches, so we know this will be a tough proposition,” said Milicic ahead of the clash in Perth.“But if we execute our game plan and perform to the level we know we can, that should be enough for us to get the result.“If we follow a clear process, remain calm and confident and take it one game at a time, we can be successful and hopefully go further in the tournament.”Like China, Taiwan have enjoyed strong support at the tournament in Australia, but it has not been without controversy.During their last game, in Sydney against India, former Taiwan coach Chen Kuei-jen was ejected from the stadium for leading a “Taiwan Jiayu”, or “Go Taiwan”, chant.His removal led to a protest to the Asian Football Confederation from Taiwan’s foreign ministry over “unequal treatment”.Taiwan compete under the name “Chinese Taipei” in international sports events.It is part of a political compromise with China that allows the island to take part in major competitions without presenting itself as a sovereign nation.China claims Taiwan as part of its territory.