Reporter Wang Wei reports On January 6th, the first training session of 2026 for the China U17 women's national football team was launched at the CFA Women's Youth Training Center in Shenzhen. This marks the first camp under the leadership of Ma Xiaoxu. The head coach and several main players spoke about their coaching philosophy and their feelings preparing for upcoming competitions.

"Thinking from Multiple Perspectives, Considering the Players"

As a distinguished former player of the Chinese women's football team, Ma Xiaoxu's appointment as coach on January 4th attracted significant attention. During her playing career, she represented China in 101 matches, earning honors such as runner-up at the Women's Youth World Cup and Asian Cup champion, and was named Asia's best female footballer. After transitioning to coaching, she gained experience in major international tournaments like the World Cup and Asian Games, helping Beijing Women's Football Club secure both the Women's Super League and FA Cup titles.

After taking over the U17 women's team, Ma Xiaoxu candidly said in an interview: "This is an opportunity for me, but more importantly, it is an opportunity for this young team. I am grateful to the Chinese Football Association for providing a platform for young female coaches to grow. Our generation was nurtured by the state, and now it is time to give back to the sport with our passion and dedication. We cannot guarantee results, but my team and I will give our all to help the team progress in the right direction."

According to Ma Xiaoxu, her initial understanding of the players came from the 15th National Games, and at that time she did not expect to take charge of the U17 women's national team. Before this training camp, in December last year, the coaching staff screened over 50 players nationwide and selected suitable ones for the camp. "We need some time to get to know them, and they also need time to understand me."

Speaking about her coaching philosophy, Ma Xiaoxu said: "I separate life and training as a coach. I tell players that in life, I hope to be their friend, but during training, I am their coach. Many things cannot be mixed. We can play, but that doesn’t mean we know how to teach, so we have to consider the players’ feelings more than our own. I believe it’s important to think from their perspective and always put players at the center. Everyone must unconditionally help, support, and encourage the players."

Ma Xiaoxu stated that the current top priority is to fully prepare for and perform well in the 2026 U17 Women's Asian Cup and World Cup. "For these girls, they have a long time and great potential to develop in the future, but now that they have reached the national team level, they must fight for the country, defend national honor, and strive for better results." She believes that achieving good results and talent development are not contradictory. "We need excellent results to prove ourselves. With good achievements, I think more young people will be encouraged to participate in football, so both can coexist."

Regarding the external view that "Chinese women's football is in a low period and lags far behind world-class teams," Ma Xiaoxu does not fully agree: "We do have some gap, but I always think the gap is not as big as imagined or as it appears. From the senior team to youth teams, Chinese players mainly need to build confidence. When I was a player, I felt I wasn’t good enough, and now as a coach, I realize we coaches gave them too little."

Young Players Eager to Bring Glory to the Nation

Among the 35 players in this training camp, many have participated in important domestic and international competitions, and they are eager to compete on the Asian Cup stage.

Hu Cuiping from Shenzhen’s 2028 women’s football development squad represented China’s U16 team at the 2025 Montaigu Tournament in France, helping the team achieve runner-up — the best result ever for Chinese women in this event. She also played for Guangdong’s U16 team in the National Games, assisting the team to win silver. Reflecting on the past year’s gains, Hu Cuiping said, "I gained a lot of experience in these games. Foreign referees have different standards from domestic ones; they allow more physical contact, which made me consciously engage more physically. When facing stronger opponents, we use our speed and agility to actively maneuver."

Hu Cuiping still vividly remembers the excitement when she received the training camp notice: "I wasn’t in my best form during the selection, so I was especially happy to be chosen and treasure this chance to participate in the Asian Cup." About her goals for this camp, she said pragmatically and firmly, "My aim is definitely to make the final squad, then step by step move forward. After staying, I want to do well in every match, leave no regrets, and perform my best each time."

Hu Cuiping holds great admiration for head coach Ma Xiaoxu: "I know about Coach Ma’s playing career and think she was really outstanding." When asked what "skills" she wants to learn from the coach, she said, "I feel she was very aggressive against opponents on the field. I hope to inherit that spirit and also challenge the opposing defense."

At the end of October last year, Yang Yuxuan from Jiangsu helped China advance to the knockout stage of the U17 Women's World Cup, achieving a historic breakthrough. This experience has given her confidence for this year’s Asian Cup preparation. "This camp gathers elite players from across the country, and the coaching team is excellent, so I feel quite confident."

After facing strong teams at the Women's World Cup, Yang Yuxuan has a clear understanding of the gap: "Many teams in the World Cup are from Europe and America, with strong physicality and confrontation skills. We suffered in these aspects during matches. I hope next time at the World Cup, we can use teamwork to break through opponents." Her goal is also "to first secure a spot in the Asian Cup squad."

Over the past year, Guangzhou young player Yang Ruixue also participated in the Montaigu Tournament, the 15th National Games, and other key competitions, improving her skills. However, she is realistic: "I need to use training to make up for my shortcomings and gain more experience in big matches to strengthen my strengths." When asked about her advantages, she said, "I think it’s my ability to make late runs in attack, and because I play on the wing, I have strong stamina and am good at coordinating with teammates."

All three young players said that Coach Ma is strict and responsible during training but is warm and friendly in daily life. Yang Ruixue often consults Ma Xiaoxu: "I interact with her a lot. Whenever I have questions, I go to Coach Ma for advice, and she patiently and carefully answers all my questions."