China women's national team loses to Russia 2-1 in friendly

WUHAN, June 3 (Xinhua) -- The China women's national team lost 2-1 to Russia in the CFA Team China International Women's Football Competition in central Chinese city of Wuhan on Wednesday.

China fielded almost the same line-up as the one that reached the semifinals of the Women's Asian Cup in March, a run that secured qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.

China had more than 60 percent of possession during the opening 45 minutes, earning seven corner kicks and registering six shots, but was unable to convert.

Russia broke the deadlock in the 54th minute when Natalia Mashina struck a volley from the flank. Chinese goalkeeper Pan Hongyan got a hand to the ball, but it deflected off her fingertips, hit the post and bounced into the net.

China responded quickly, as Wang Shuang leveled the score with a powerful long-range strike five minutes later.

In the 87th minute, Azaliya Zalmieva converted Veronika Kuropatkina's corner kick to restore Russia's lead at 2-1. Anna Kozhinikova headed home in stoppage time, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

The match is part of China's fourth national-team training camp this year, which runs from May 18 to June 8 as preparations continue for the 2026 Asian Games and the 2027 Women's World Cup.

The two teams are also scheduled to play a training match behind closed doors on Sunday, providing further opportunities for China's coaching staff to evaluate players and tactics. Enditem