The CTFA has been forced to issue a public apology after AC Taipei keeper Tuan Hsuan reportedly travelled to Kaohsiung for national team training only to be told upon arrival that he had been removed from the list of players required to attend.
The Taiwan men’s team have two friendly games coming up later this month as part of the VFF Cup, a yearly invitational tournament hosted by the Vietnamese football team. Taiwan are one of three participants along with the hosts and Kyrgyzstan, with the Kaohsiung-based training camp intended as a way for the Blue Wings to get up to speed for the tournament.
As reported by Next Apple News, Tuan had already travelled down to Kaohsiung only to be told on the first day of training that he was no longer training with the national team– and presumably not travelling with the Blue Wings for the VFF Cup itself.
In the aftermath, AC Taipei, who Tuan plays for in the Taiwanese Premier League, responded with a forceful statement backing their player;
“In response to the recent treatment of Tuan Hsuan, a player from our club, who was treated rudely and unfairly by the Chinese Football Association and the national team coaches, [AC Taipei] expresses deep regret and sorrow. Tuan Hsuan has always been known for his dedication to the field and his passion for the country. No national footballer willing to fight for the country should face such a hasty treatment.
[..]
At the same time, we also earnestly call on the Chinese Football Association and the national team coaching staff to take this incident seriously and improve internal communication and conduct. Only by building on a foundation of mutual respect can we provide the protection and dignity that every player willing to wear the national team jersey for Taiwan deserves, so that Taiwanese football can truly unite its strength and continue to move forward”.
Tuan himself has also commented on the situation on his own instagram account, stating that ‘honestly, I am very dissatisfied and feel my dignity [has been] trampled on’. Tellingly, the commented was ‘liked’ by multiple players from both the mens and womens national team.
The CTFA has put out a response that takes full responsibility for the error, unreservedly apologizing to both Tuan and AC Taipei, as well as promising to reimburse the twenty-nine year old keeper for his travel costs. If the CTFA statement has been understood correctly, Tuan was initially in the team but the Blue Wings staff made a last minute change that was not picked up by the football administration, resulting in Tuan being called down to Kaosiung when he was not required.
For Tuan himself, this is the latest set-back in a stop-start national team career. The twenty-nine year old has been in and around the Blue Wings for many years, having first been called up in 2019, wherein he was an unused substitute in a 2-0 loss to Hong Kong. Tuan would eventually get his first cap in 2024 and a year later started for the first time in the 3-1 defeat to Turkmenistan.
With national team training ongoing, Taiwan’s men’s team will presumably remain in Kaohsiung for the next few days before flying to Nam Định in northern Vietnam for their first VFF game on November 11th.
