In the end, Taiwan found themselves drawn in the same group as hosts and tournament favorites, Japan. However, the other teams are also strong on paper, making this arguably ‘the group of death’ for the tournament.

Thailand, ranked 49th in the FIFA rankings, have beaten Taiwan twice and drawn once in their last five meetings. The two teams also met in the last edition of the Asian games, with Taiwan winning 1-0 back in 2022. Vietnam are actually ranked above Taiwan by FIFA, although it should be noted that the Mulan won their last encounter in the recent AFC Finals.

With two teams automatically qualifying from each group plus the two highest ranked third place teams, Taiwan should still feel confident of qualifying for the knockout stages. But it should be noted that it is not a guarantee and the potential of an upset loss to either Thailand or Vietnam cannot be ignored.

Whilst the mens side will stay at home, the Mulan were invited to take part in the Asian Games due to Taiwan having one of the twelve best ranked women’s sides in the region. In recent years, the Mulan has performed well in the Asian Games, making the knock-out rounds for three consecutive tournaments as well as a fourth place finish in the Singapore edition in 2018.