Having left the position open for several months, the CTFA have finally announced the new national team manager for the Taiwanese mens national team. Huang Che-ming, the head coach of Taipower FC, is the new man on the bench for the Blue Wings. Given the circumstances, he is also among the best possible hires available.

As a player, Huang won nine domestic titles with Kaohsiung-based Taipower FC across a twelve year playing career that also saw him play twenty-three times for the national team. After hanging up his boots in 2004, Huang transitioned into coaching with the Chung Shan Industrial and Commercial School in Kaohsiung, a traditional football powerhouse within Taiwanese high school sports. Huang then moved into the adults ranks with his old club, Taipower FC, initially as an assistant coach but by 2022, he was promoted to manager.

The fifty-three year old will be in charge for the remainder of the AFC Finals qualification cycle, which will conclude next March. Huang’s first two games will be the back-to-back matches with Thailand in October. Already bottom of the group, Taiwan need at least one win from this double-header to have any chance of qualification.

Photo Credit: Peng Shanhao