China's Li Ying celebrates after scoring a goal during the Group B match between China and South Africa at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in Paris, France, on June 13, 2019. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
PARIS, June 13 (Xinhua) -- China women's national football team head coach Jia Xiuquan says he anticipated a tough challenge before the team's 1-0 victory over Women's World Cup debutants South Africa here on Thursday.
"The victory belongs to all the players. They deserve it. The battle has just begun, and there will be tough games ahead. I hope to be smiling at the last moment," Jia said after the game.
China overcame South Africa thanks to Li Ying's 40th minute goal, and currently sit third in Group B, three points behind leaders Germany and level on points with second-placed Spain, who China meet in Monday's final group match.
Jia said he hoped his players can show their true ability.
"Their desire to win has impressed me the most over the year. I was deeply moved by this. This has given me the courage to lead them. They have done a great job today. This is also a manifestation of their mentality."
The coach added, "We executed our plan. We wish to dominate the game. The game unfolded as we had planned. For a period of time in the second half, we lost possession of the ball. This is very normal. The winning team has one mentality, and the losing team has another. This is what we need to learn in terms of maintaining dominance while leading, which requires a lot of education and growth."
Jia also paid tribute to his players for their efforts over the World Cup's first two matches. "The players have been constantly improving. Our opponents in the first two matches here were different. We had more pressure in the second game, because we could not afford to lose."
"I did not worry too much, but perhaps my players worried a lot. The invisible stress was there, but they were able to overcome it and perform very well on the pitch. They continue to grow, and that makes me proud."
Going into the final group match against Spain, Jia noted that the European side would provide his players with a stern test. "Spain are a very strong, and play in a traditional style similar to their men's team. Spain are stronger than us, so we can play without the pressure of expectation, which could give us a better performance. Hopefully, our players can unleash their potential and execute the match plan well."
"We have our style, and want to make the most of it for a better performance. We will conduct more targeted match preparation against Spain."
