TSG Tainan are aiming to extend their dominance in the Taiwan Football Premier League for a fifth straight season, while Taichung Blue Whale are seeking to defend the women’s title as the soccer season kicks off this weekend.
Winning their fourth consecutive title last year, TSG are facing daunting challenges to prolong their winning streak due to losing top-rated striker Ange Kouame and other key players.
Ivory Coast-born Kouame, a naturalized citizen who has played for Taiwan in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, won the league’s Most Valuable Player honor last season, but left to join Chinese second-tier team Liaoning Tieren.
Photo: Wu Meng-ju, Taipei Times
TSG’s midfield general Alim Zumakulov of Russia also left for greener pastures, joining Bhutan’s Thimphu City, while Brazilian forward Jean Moser also departed.
TSG have signed two South Koreans and one Estonian to replace the departed foreign players.
TSG begin their season at home to Taichung Futuro on Sunday at 3.30pm at the Tainan City Football Stadium, while Taiwan Leopard Cat, last season’s runners-up, visit Ming Chuan University in Taoyuan at 6.30pm.
Sunday’s other openers see AC Taipei take on Taipower at the University of Taipei in Tianmu and Hang Yuan face promoted Vikings in Taoyuan.
The most prominent off-season move saw Vikings sign Haitian striker Benchy Estama from Taichung Futuro.
Leopard Cat manager Chiang Mu-tsai at a news conference in Taipei on Monday said that his team would fight for every point to improve on last season, and that all his players are focused on dethroning TSG.
“But we know it is very tough to compete against the champions, because they are backed by TSG, one of Taiwan’s biggest conglomerates with hundreds of billions in annual revenue. So they have deep pockets and are able to buy the best players,” he said.
“We are like most teams in the league, we need sponsors, and to get support from the grassroots and cooperate with sports academies,” said Chiang, known as the “evergreen head coach” after being in charge of the club since 1988.
The club’s previous corporate backer Tatung, facing takeover attempts and power struggles, terminated its sponsorship of the club in 2021 and it is now administered by two Taipei City councilors, Lin Liang-chun who heads the Taipei City Football Association and Miao Po-ya.
The women’s season kicks off on Saturday, with defending champions Taichung Blue Whale taking on Hang Yuan at 4pm in New Taipei City, while Taipei Bravo face Taoyuan Mars at 4pm at the Hualien County Sports Stadium, followed by Hualien City taking on Kaohsiung Attackers.
Blue Whale defensive anchor Pitsamai Sornsai said her side would be looking to retain their title.
“We will strive to play in a good style, to produce higher-quality games for the fans to enjoy,” she said.
After four seasons in Taiwan, the Thailand international can now speak fluent Mandarin.
“It is important for me to able communicate with my teammates, but also for my daily life in Taiwan, so I forced myself to talk only in Mandarin with friends and when going to stores,” she said. “If I do not understand some words, then I ask what they mean. So now I can better understand, and can speak clearly with the coaches and other players.”
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