"Steel Roses" aims at first victory facing South Africa

After losing to hosts 3-0 on Wednesday in the Olympics women's football tournament, China's head coach Bruno Bini aims to defeat South Africa on Saturday to qualify for the quarterfinals.

"We should forget the first match and prepare the game versus South Africa confidently," said Bini. Although China never met South Africa, nicknamed "Banyana Banyana" , the 2015 FIFA women's World Cup quarterfinalist wanted to add three points in the group standings.

"Our first game at this level was against Netherlands in June. Before that it was African teams, and it was completely different," said Pauw Vera, head coach of South Africa at the pre-game media conference.

"Team China is more than united. It's not a team with a few who are over there and others feeding. Everybody is skillful. Every player is mobile. They have a very structured way of playing. We need to find a way to play against that," Pauw added.

South Africa's solid defence impressed the audience deeply in its first round, but Pauw didn't think it would be the only strategy when her team competes with Chinese.

"Our tactic is not sitting back and holding Sweden. If you see the game against USA (in a friendly game), that is not our style," the 53-year-old coach said.

"But Sweden may just be doing it. If we have time, we may change that. But unfortunately, if you are not capable to play differently, what do you do? It was not the strategy. But the opposition was so strong," Pauw said.

South Africa played to a draw with 2011 FIFA women's World Cup winner Japan in London 2012. But the "Steel Roses" who defeat Japanese in the Olympics' qualifiers had impressed Pauw very well.

"If I was not confident, our girls will be unself-confident," Bini said.

"We still believed that everything is possible and we are a powerful team," The 61-year-old Frenchman added. Endit