Pei Encai, head coach of China's women's national soccer team, handed in his resignation to the Chinese Football Association (CFA) on November 18, just three days before the team was due to leave for Australia for a round of friendlies. Left "holding the baby" was Wang Haiming, Pei's assistant.

Pei's reasons for leaving include the high expectations and unrealistic goals that the CFA set for him and the team.

"We shouldn't be fixated on quick results and instant gains," Pei was quoted as saying by Nanjing Morning Daily, "We have to assess the current difficulties and acknowledge the fact that the team is not what it used to be."

Pei's resignation comes as a bit of a surprise, not least because he took up the post barely six months ago, 171 days to be exact.

Some of Pei's career highlights include guiding Wuhan Huanghelou to the top of the second division in 2004, and their subsequent promotion to the first division, finishing second in the Super League.

CFA chief executive Xie Yalong hoped Pei would be able to replicate that success with the women's team and get them ready for the 2008 Olympics.

But things never quite took off for the ladies. They performed badly at the East Asian Four-Nation tournament in August, losing to South Korea 2:0, to North Korea 1:0, and drawing with Japan 0:0. The winless and goalless results put Pei in the hot seat.

Pei tried hard to cobble a credible team together. He scoured the Guangzhou Women's Super League, Zibo women's soccer league, the 10th National Games and the Yiwu Women's Soccer Tournament for talent. But confidence in women's soccer in China is at an all-time low and Pei couldn't convince former national team stars like Pu Wei and Ren Liping to join him.

The CFA has accepted Pei's resignation. According to Xie, Pei accepted the position with the Olympics in mind, but proved that he wasn't even good enough for everyday tournaments.

Final approval of Pei's resignation is still required from the State General Administration of Sport.

In the meantime, the CFA is looking for Pei's successor.

Assistant coach Wang Haiming, who was acting head coach before Pei took over, is an obvious choice.

"We hope Wang will accept. Negotiations would be straightforward, and he is the best man for the job," national team player Wang Kun said.

Another likely candidate is Ma Liangxing, head coach of the women's team from 2002 to 2003.

The CFA is expected to announce their decision before the weekend.

(China.org.cn by Li Xiao, November 22, 2005)