China's football team arrives in Australia for FIFA Women's World Cup

AUSTRALIA: The Chinese national football team arrived in South Australia (SA) on Saturday to participate in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

On a chilly winter morning, fans waited at the airport in Adelaide, the capital city of SA, to welcome the Chinese team with flowers as gifts, cheering the players, "Steel Roses, come on China!" reports Xinhua.

The 2023 World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand between July 20-August 20.

Only the top two teams from eight groups will enter the round of 16, as this is the first time that women's football's biggest tournament will expand to a 32-team format.

China, having clinched the Asian Cup last year, are placed in Group D with England, Denmark and Haiti.

"To be frank, the players are not currently 100 percent ready for the World Cup. I hope they can hit their peak level as the tournament nears," said head coach Shui Qingxia earlier this week before departure to Adelaide.

"No matter what unfolds in the World Cup, I hope my players can face challenges with a smile and demonstrate China's fighting spirit to all our fans."

At the 2019 World Cup in France, the Steel Roses were knocked out in the round of 16. "This time, we are certainly looking to make our target higher since this gives us more motivation," said Shui.