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Taiwan turn to Englishman White in Asian Cup push

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Tokyo: Taiwan have hired Englishman Gary White as their new coach in a bid to breathe new life into their flagging bid to reach the Asian Cup.


“I’ll be taking over halfway through (qualifying) but it’s still a strong possibility,” the former Guam coach said on Friday after signing a one-year deal.


“We’ve just got to start getting some points.


“I’ve got experience in international football, especially in Asia, and I know how to get results,” added White, who worked wonders on the tiny honeymoon island of Guam before going on to rescue Shanghai Shenxin from relegation in China last season.


“I want to try to motivate the players and get the country behind them.”


Taiwan sit third in their qualifying group for the 2019 Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates and White insisted they have the ability to defy the odds and progress.


“In the past, Taiwan has always been a much bigger team in East Asia but they’ve kind of fallen off over the years,” said the 43-year-old, whose new side faces group leaders Bahrain at home on October 10.


“I’m an attack-minded coach so what I want to bring is a little bit of excitement and get the players to express themselves.”


White, who had spells in charge of the British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas before Guam, has his work cut out after Taiwan were beaten by Bahrain and second-placed Turkmenistan, though a 2-1 win over Singapore boosted their hopes.


The new coach called on Taiwan to produce a surprise in Turkmenistan in November.


“That’s going to be a huge game,” said White. “But Taiwan wants to follow in the tracks of China. They want to push into the top 100 in the next three years — they need someone to help them fulfil their potential.” — AFP


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