"We will try to take everything we do step by step," Bell told reporters Wednesday, nine days before South Korea's first match at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup in India. (Photo from KFA) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] NAMHAE: With his team just days away from entering the top continental women's football tournament, South Korea head coach Colin Bell is preaching the importance of staying in the moment. "We will try to take everything we do step by step," Bell told reporters Wednesday, nine days before South Korea's first match at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup in India.
Bell has been running training camp here in Namhae, since the start of the new year. He finalized his 23-player roster on Monday, with Ji So-yun, the country's all-time leading scorer, in the fold for her fourth Asian Cup appearance. To kick off their Group C action, South Korea will face Vietnam on Jan. 20, followed by Myanmar on Jan. 24 and Japan, the two-time defending champions, on Jan. 27. The tournament will double as the Asian qualifying event for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. The top five nations from the Women's Asian Cup will qualify for the big show, while two more teams will end up in the intercontinental playoffs.
"The first goal is the qualification for the World Cup, and then obviously try to win the (Asian Cup)," Bell said. "But we're going to do it in phases. The first step is Vietnam, the second step is Myanmar and the third step is Japan."