SHANGHAI, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese women's soccer team needs to play more matches against strong rivals to improve its competence, said its former head coach Shui Qingxia on Monday.

Shui, who coached the Chinese side from November 2021 to November 2023, admitted that her former side was not as competitive as before.

"For the time being, their performances have fallen short of some supporters' expectation," she said.

The way for the Chinese team to grow up is to play more tough games, according to Shui.

"Now there are still many fans following the team. I hope they can play more games against strong sides in the future," she said.

These games will help develop young players, which in turn will contribute to the improvement of the Chinese team as a whole, Shui added.

"I have confidence in the future of the Chinese women's team. The young players are growing up, and I believe the team will become stronger too," she said. ■