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Hong Kong Eastern Sports Club coach to become the first female in the AFC Champions League
Hong Kong Eastern Sports Club coach to become the first female in the AFC Champions League
Chan Yuen-ting will break another glass ceiling in football when she makes her debut in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League on Wednesday 22 February and becomes the first women to guide a men's team in the competition.
The 28-year-old led Eastern to the Hong Kong Premier League title last year, and will now test her mettle against Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao, in what will also become the first time a team represents Hong Kong at Asia's top club football competition.
"At this moment I don't want to create extra pressure for myself and my players so we just want to do our best and try to go as far as we can." Chang said.
AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said the eyes of the world would be on the match.
"This is a moment of historic significance," he said. "It is a ground-breaking moment for football in Asia, for the women's game and for the global game.
"Chan’s achievement speaks to the growth and progress of the women’s game in Asia and serves as an inspiration to women coaches and footballers around the globe." explained the AFC President.
Chan's ground-breaking 2016 Hong Kong title with Eastern made headlines around the globe and earned her the AFC's coach of the year award and a place in a BBC list of the world's 100 most influential women.
Hong Kong Football Association chief executive Mark Sutcliffe said Chan had become a shining light for women involved in sport across the world.
"We are proud that Hong Kong has provided an opportunity for a female coach to operate at the highest level," Sutcliffe told AFP.
"I am sure she will act as an inspiration for women in sport across the world," he said, adding: "(But) let's not kid ourselves - it's going to be very, very tough."
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