China’s women Olympic football qualifiers to go ahead

SYDNEY: China’s national women’s soccer team -- currently in quarantine at a Brisbane hotel -- will be allowed to play a series of Olympic qualifiers in Australia over the next two weeks with only slight changes to the schedule.

The squad’s first game against Thailand will be held on February 6 -- three days later than planned -- to allow their two-week isolation to conclude as a precaution against a coronavirus currently spreading across China.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) said it had worked with authorities in China and locally to reschedule the fixtures.

The China side will also play Taiwan on February 9 and Australia on February 12. “As always, the health of everyone involved, from players and officials to the fans and contractors, remains the number one priority,” said FFA Chief Executive James Johnson.

“This new format allows us to stage these matches with that priority in mind, and we now look forward to welcoming all teams and hosting a successful tournament.” Queensland state Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said no-one from the group, reportedly 32-strong including officials and staff, had shown any symptoms.