Editorial | Only one winner in tale of two China teams
- The success of China’s female footballers has again put their male counterparts in the shade, and their strength of character deserves to be rewarded
Two contrasting results in a week have highlighted the roaring success of China’s female footballers and the dismal failure of their male counterparts. It is a story of heroes and villains.
China’s men’s team have not qualified for the World Cup finals for 20 years. Lingering hopes they might squeeze into December’s flagship event in Qatar crumbled last week with a humiliating 3-1 defeat to Vietnam.
It was left to the women to salvage some pride. They did not disappoint.
The team won the AFC Women’s Asian Cup on Sunday for the first time since 2006. They produced a spirited performance, fighting back from 2-0 down at half-time to beat South Korea.
The results sparked much comment on social media with well-deserved plaudits for the women and mockery for the men.
This notable achievement by the Steel Roses promises much for the future. But it must be put into perspective.