Ma returns to coach women's team; Sun Wen back
(www.chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-12-16 09:44

Ma's substitute Zhang Haitao failed to revitalize the squad, which suffered an early exit in the group stage of last year's Athens Olympics, including an humiliating 8-0 loss to Germany.

Wang Haiming, who took China to runners-up in the world youth championship in 2003, took over the team.

But a string of poor performances in the friendlies cost him the job, and Pei Encai was surprisingly picked up, dispite his inexperience at coaching national team or women's team.

Pei was favored by CFA for his good record in the Chinese super league, leading the Wuhan Huanghelou to a seven-game winning streak.

But the job turned out to be an impossible mission to Pei, as China finished last in the four-team women's football tournament in October's East Asian Games in Macao. Pei quit last month, about five months after he was appointed.