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China boosted by World Stars women´s football win
WUHAN, China (AFP) - China's women said a narrow win over a World Stars team had given them a massive boost for the World Cup.
China snatched a 3-2 victory in the dying seconds against the international side brimming with talent late on Saturday, giving them new hope for the September tournament.
The World Cup hosts, runners-up in 1999, have slumped to ninth in the rankings after a dismal run including four straight defeats at the recent Algarve Cup.
Wang Haiming, who coached the side for the last time before newly appointed Marika Domanski-Lyfors takes the reins, said the result of the friendly was significant.
"It means a lot for the Chinese team and it helps our confidence," he said.
"This was a good chance for us to get experience and learn how to deal with mental stress.
"The game showed how we have improved. Of course we still have a long way to go but we should get better over time."
China and the World Stars shared four headed goals in the first half before Ji Ting's 90th-minute winner.
"This game will give us a lot of confidence for the World Cup in September," said Liu Sa, who scored China's opener.
The match was a prelude to Sunday's World Cup draw, when 16 countries will be split into four groups for the September 10-30 tournament held across five Chinese cities.
China, Germany, the United States and Norway are seeded, with the remaining teams -- Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, Ghana, Japan, New Zealand, North Korea, Nigeria and Sweden -- all going into the pot.
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