Chinese women's football team head coach Shui steps down

BEIJING -- Shui Qingxia, head coach of the Chinese women's football team, stepped down on Monday as her team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics after the 1-1 tie with South Korea on November 1.

"Due to the Chinese women's football team's failure to qualify for the Paris Olympics, the contract with the coaching team was automatically terminated, and Shui Qingxia no longer served as the head coach of the Chinese women's football team," the Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced.

According to the CFA, the Chinese women's football team will be directed by a temporary coaching team to play two friendly matches held in the United States on December 2 and 6.

On November 18, 2021, Shui took the reins of the Chinese women's football team. Under her coaching, China won the 2022 women's Asian Cup, but did not survive the group stage of the 2023 women's World Cup this summer and lost to Japan in the semifinal of the Hangzhou Asian Games last month.