AFC Women's Asian Cup final: China, South Korea set their eyes on coveted trophy

The AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022 final on Sunday promises to be a spectacular affair as China PR and the Korea Republic set their eyes on the coveted trophy.

China PR have won the tournament eight times previously while Korea Republic are seeking their first title and both are geared up for a meeting between two traditional rivals at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

China PR, led by five-time AFC Women's Asian Cup winner Shui Qingxia, will head into the decider with a superior head to head but Korea Republic head coach Colin Bell is confident that will count for nothing on Sunday.

"The mood in the team is great, it's a good feeling to exceed expectations," said Bell. "The girls are prepared to go the distance and play 120 minutes. Our mental and physical state is good and we're ready to go."

Korea Republic have not defeated China PR in their last seven meetings but Bell said that won't be a factor as his players are determined to lift the AFC Women's Asian Cup for the first time.

"I don't see us not having a win against China PR a problem. Maybe it is a problem for China PR but It's time now for us to put an end to that (winless streak) and we are ready to put this behind us. We don't want to think about these figures, if we did we wouldn't be here."

China PR will also expect to be taken seriously after their stunning win over defending champions Japan in the semi-finals, which head coach Shui believes will inspire her team to clinch the nation's first AFC Women's Asian Cup title in 16 years.

"Facing Korea Republic will be difficult. We have had just a short time to prepare and make adjustments, not just on the game but mentally as well," the coach said.

"There is no point thinking about past records against Korea Republic. In a final, there will be many different scenarios played out and we will have to be prepared. Perseverance equals success and maybe, there might be some unforeseeable circumstances but we will be prepared," she added.

Shui knows all about lifting titles, having won the AFC Women's Asian Cup five times as a player - success which was achieved due to the self belief of the China PR players of then and the 55-year-old wants the cast of India 2022 to be equally confident.

"Korea Republic is a strong opponent and an outstanding team in Asia. They have made plenty of improvements in their game over the years and have some outstanding players. I played in plenty of matches as a player. All I can say is that the players should all have the self belief and confidence to play in the final. They should just perform at their best," the Chinese coach pointed.

( With inputs from ANI )

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