China kick-started their FIFA Women's World Cup Finals campaign in front of 20,011 fans at the Parc des Princes in Paris on June 13, edging South Africa 1-0 in a disappointing encounter to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the knockout phase of the Cup. The "Steel Roses" started well, with crosses from Gu Yasha causing "Banyana Banyana" no end of trouble in the first six minutes of the contest, South African goalkeeper Kaylin Swart forced to grab the first one off the nose of Li Ying, then punch the second off the head of Wang Shanshan. China then settled into their work, dominating proceedings without threatening the South African goal until the half-hour mark, when Han Peng sent a shot sailing over the bar following a short corner routine. South African speedster Thembi Kgatlana provided her country's lone first half threat immediately afterwards, only to fire well wide of the mark after outpacing the Chinese rearguard. Gu then spurned a great chance to open the scoring in the 34th minute. Picked out by Wang Shanshan, she wrong-footed Lebohang Ramalepe before taking full advantage of an untimely slip by Janine Van Wyk, only to send her shot sailing well wide of Swart's goal. China's moment of joy was only six minutes away, however, and was provided by Li - a superb striker's goal, with her darting run and first-time finish completely outfoxing Swart as she anticipated Rui Zhang's cross to perfection. Buoyed by the goal, China pressed for a second one before the interval, and came within three centimetres of doing so in the 42nd minute. Gu's corner picked out the head of Wang Shanshan, whose header crashed off the underside of the bar and down before bouncing back into play, goal-line technology confirming that the ball hadn't fully crossed the line.

Another pinpoint cross from Gu was headed wide by Wang Shanshan in the dying stages of the first spell, while after delivering the corner which Noko Matlou headed past the post via a deflection, Kholosa Biyana fired South Africa's first shot on target in the 62nd minute. Unfortunately for the midfielder, it was straight at Peng Shimeng. China's goalkeeper had little else to do in the match, with Wu Haiyan blocking "Banyana Banyana"'s only other shot of note in the 76th minute, after Refiloe Jane's cross had been flicked on by substitute Jermaine Seoposenwe to Kgatlana. The "Steel Roses" came on strong in the final minutes as they looked to clinch victory with a second goal. Wang Shuang's wickedly struck free-kick ricocheted off a defender for a corner, which the set-piece specialist delivered onto the head of Han. Swart flew to her left to pull off a terrific save, then denied substitute Yang Li in a one-on-one situation after Wang Shanshan and substitute Lou Jiahui had prised open the South African rearguard. In stoppage time, the substitutes combined again, Lou expertly bringing down a high ball before playing in Yang, whose shot was splendidly blocked by Bambanani Mbane's brave challenge. But China had long since done enough to earn this 1-0 win over a South African team which will almost certainly be heading home after the group phase, given their final fixture is against Germany in four days time, a day on which China and Spain will determine the other team to advance automatically from this group. China:          Peng; Y. Wang (Yang, 81), Lin, Wu, Han, Liu; Shuang Wang, Zhang, Gu (Lou, 65); Shanshan Wang, Li (Yao, 78) South Africa:     Swart; Ramalepe, Van Wyk, Matlou (booked, 83), Holweni (Smeda, 72); Jane (Motlhalo, 81), Makhabane, Mbane, Biyana, Kgatlana; Fulutudilu (Seoposenwe, 60) Referee:     Katalin Kulcsar (Hungary)