The South Africa national women’s team will look to redeem themselves as they come up against China in their second group game of the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup campaign.
The clash has become a must-win for Banyana Banyana after they were beaten by Spain in their opener, but it’s certainly not all doom and gloom.
Coach Desiree Ellis' team fought bravely against the Spanish and were perhaps unlucky to have fallen to La Roja especially after taking the lead.
However, it will not be a walk in the park for Banyana as China are a formidable opponent.
After losing 1-0 to Germany in their opening match they too will be wounded and have a point to prove.
The last time these two sides met was at the 2016 Olympics and Banyana will not have fond memories of that encounter where they suffered a 2-0 loss.
| Game | South Africa v China |
| Date | Thursday, June 13 |
| Time | 21:00 pm SA Time |
TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch
In South Africa, the game will be shown live on SuperSport 4. You can also catch live updates on Goal.com.
| Live Match Centre | TV Channel |
|---|---|
| Goal.com | SS4 |
Squads & Team News
Meanwhile, the clash is likely to see some changes made by the Banyana technical team.
Upfront, Banyana looked solid in the opening game with Thembi Kgatlana leading the line.
Her threat was apparent for the world to take notice of as she scored a scorcher against the Europeans, and she is expected to continue from where she left off against China.
In addition, her experience playing against Chinese players for her club Beijing Phoenix could be a key factor in Banyana overcoming the opposition.
Nonetheless, it is at the back where Banyana looked frail.
Nothando Vilakazi will be a notable absentee after she was sent off against Spain and that will leave Ellis with a selection headache.
On the other end, Banyana are likely to be in for a difficult evening.
On their road to a bronze medal during the 2018 Women's Asian Cup, China bagged a whopping 19 goals in five games with Li Ying their go-to attacker with seven goals.
She will hope to rediscover that form and compile further misery on Banyana in their very first Women’s World Cup.
Match Preview
With Germany currently top of Group B after beating Spain, this now opens the group to China and Banyana, who have an opportunity to claim the second available spot.
This will be only the second competitive meeting between the two sides and with the stakes so high, it has all the potential of an exciting encounter.
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