Monday 25 October 2021, 04:16

Myanmar, Chinese Taipei complete Asian finals line-up

  • Myanmar, Chinese Taipei booked AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification

  • The final draw will be staged on 28 October at Kuala Lumpur

  • Competition doubles as 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying

Myanmar and Chinese Taipei sealed their return to the AFC Women's Asian Cup as the India 2022 roster was completed on Sunday. By doing so, they joined hosts India and nine other nations at January's continental finals, which also doubles as the qualifier for the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™.

Both sides maintained unblemished records to progress in style. Myanmar recorded three straight wins while Chinese Taipei snatched back-to-back victories to advance to complete the line-up.

The final draw will be staged on 28 October in Kuala Lumpur, where the 12 teams will be divided into three groups of four. The top five finishers – excluding 2023 hosts Australia - will win coveted berths at the next Women's World Cup with the following two advancing to the new intercontinental play-offs.

Qualified teams: India (hosts), Japan, Australia, China PR, Thailand, Korea Republic, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Iran, Myanmar, Chinese Taipei * Japan, Australia, China PR were granted automatic berths as the top three finishers of the previous edition in 2018

Ting Chi of Chinese Taipei (C) celebrates a goal

Road to India Light work for Myanmar Having missed the previous edition at Jordan 2018, Myanmar entered the qualification campaign aiming to progress to their fifth Women's Asian Cup. They proved unstoppable in a group which also featured Lebanon, Guam and United Arab Emirates, grabbing three successive wins to progress in style.

All the more notable was that the Asian Lionesses struck 14 times without conceding to win the section in comfort. The Southeast Asians opened brightly with a 4-0 defeat of Lebanon before firing an incredible eight unanswered goals past Guam. In the decisive closing game, Khin Mo Mo Tun put them ahead inside five minutes before Chit Chit sealed the 2-0 victory as Myanmar went through.

Chinese Taipei leave it late Chinese Taipei, meanwhile, went into the campaign determined to end a decade-long wait having missed out on the past three editions. They got off to a good start with a resounding 4-0 victory against Laos and, although hosts Bahrain defended gallantly in the all-important group concluder, Lai Li-chin struck the opener on the hour-mark before Chen Yen-ping netted the match-winner as Chinese Taipei sealed their return.

The player Having collected over half a century of goals over her seven-year international career, Myanmar top-striker Win Theingi Tun continued her remarkable international goalscoring form by striking three times to help her side through. The 26-year-old broke the deadlock with a spot-kick to set her side on the path to a 4-0 victory against Lebanon in the opener, before completing a brace in the 8-0 rout of Guam.

Did you know? Despite making little impression on the continental stage over the past two decades, Chinese Taipei bagged three successive continental titles in 1977, 1979 and 1981.