China brought the Spar South African women’s hockey team down to earth on Tuesday, beating them 1-0 in their final round-robin match in the Shinco Cup in Wujin, China.
The winning goal came 15 minutes into the second half, after an injury to South Africa’s star striker Pietie Coetzee. She required two stitches to a head wound, but is expected to be fit to play in the final on Thursday.
China, ranked third in the world, are unbeaten so far in the four-nations tournament, which also includes Korea and Japan. China beat Japan 3-0 and Korea 4-1. South Africa, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, beat Korea 4-2 and Japan 3-1.
South Africa will meet China again in the final on Thursday, while Japan and Korea will play for third and fourth place. — Sapa