The format may have changed from round-robin to knockout, but the identity of the competition winners has now remained the same since 2016, with the hosts winning the title for the fourth consecutive year.

Gu Yasha's sweetly struck left-footed half-volley on the quarter-hour mark proved decisive for Jia Xiuquan's team, who have now registered four wins in a row against their East Asian rivals, and strung together six consecutive victories against all opposition.

Football Federation Australia Chief Executive Officer David Gallop AM revealed the rationale behind the decision, which comes less than five months before Australia begin their France 2019 campaign against Italy.

“The ultimate responsibility for driving change and leading a high-performance environment that puts the team in the best possible position to achieve what they are capable of, rests with the Head Coach," he said.

"We no longer have confidence that Alen is the right person to lead the team and staff."

With the traditional round-robin format replaced by a straight knockout system, China PR's win over Nigeria and Korea Republic's earlier success over Romania means the two Asian sides will meet to decide the champions.

Cho's transfer seals her first foray into English football, having spent the previous season with Norwegian outfit Avaldsnes IL.

Speaking to the club's official website, the midfield star said she was delighted to have pen to paper.