The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has appointed former Wuhan women’s team head coach Chang Weiwei to lead China’s national women’s team.
The CFA announced the appointment in a statement on its website on Friday (13 November).
The statement said that, following a thorough assessment by an expert selection panel, the CFA had decided to appoint Chang as head coach and Wang Jun as first assistant coach of the national women’s team. The appointments are aimed at strengthening preparations for the Asian qualifiers for the Los Angeles Olympics and the Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
According to the statement, Chang holds an AFC Pro coaching licence and has extensive experience coaching women’s teams, having worked in women’s football for many years. During his time in charge of Wuhan Chegu Jiangda, he won multiple Chinese Women’s Super League and Women’s FA Cup titles, and led the team to the inaugural AFC Women’s Champions League title. He previously served as an assistant coach of China’s national women’s team and accompanied the squad to the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada.
The statement said Wang also holds an AFC Pro coaching licence and has spent many years coaching China’s national under-18 and under-20 women’s teams, leading the latter to two Under-20 Women’s World Cups.
According to reports by Xinhua and Wenhui Daily, China’s women failed to win a medal at this year’s Asian Games in Nagoya, falling short of their target. The CFA announced Ante Milicic’s departure on 23 October and began the search for a new coach.
The first priority for Chang, 49, will be next year’s Asian qualifiers for the Los Angeles Olympics. In the draw announced the day before his appointment, China were placed in Group B alongside North Korea, South Korea and the Philippines. Group A comprises Japan, Australia, Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan.
The group stage will begin on 19 April 2027, with only the group winners qualifying directly for the Olympics. The two runners-up will first meet in a two-legged play-off. The winners must then face Argentina, who finished third at the 2025 Copa America Femenina, for a place at the Games.
