Women's World Cup - Group B
SpainSpain3South AfricaSouth Africa1

Women's World Cup: Spain Women 3-1 South Africa Women

Jennifer Hermoso scored two penalties as Spain came from behind to beat World Cup debutants South Africa, who were reduced to 10 players.

Atletico Madrid's Hermoso converted both spot-kicks in the second half, awarded after a handball and Nothando Vilakazi's late challenge, for which she received a second yellow card.

Spain were the better side and Lucia Garcia added a cool third late on.

Thembi Kgatlana had given South Africa a shock lead with a chipped finish.

Kgatlana should have put South Africa 2-0 ahead but her tame effort at the far post was pushed away by Spain goalkeeper Sandra Panos.

The result means they are now without a victory in any of their last 12 games and are bottom of Group B.

Spain are top courtesy of better goal difference than two-time winners Germany, who edged past China 1-0 in their opening game.

Jorge Vilda's side claimed their first victory at the tournament, having failed to win any of their games at the 2015 event, but it did not go to plan early on after Kgatlana's surprise strike in the first half.

The Spaniards regathered themselves in the second period, Garcia looping a shot against the crossbar, Maria Leon curling a free-kick narrowly over and Marta Corredera seeing a scooped shot pushed away by Andile Dlamini.

But Hermoso did manage to keep her cool from the penalty spot, before Garcia went round Dlamini to slot in with a minute remaining.

Hermoso spot on - the stats

  • Jennifer Hermoso is the first player to score twice from the penalty spot in a Women's World Cup match.
  • Spain's three goals were the first they have ever scored in the second half of a World Cup match.
  • South Africa's Nothando Vilakazi received the first red card of the tournament.
  • South Africa failed to manage any attempt on or off target after the 57th minute.
  • Thembi Kgatlana put South Africa ahead with their first attempt on target at a World Cup.
  • Spain had the most attempts (25) and most on target (12) of any side in the opening 3 games of this World Cup and their possession of 72% was also the highest.
  • Cameroon remain the only African side to have won their debut game at the World Cup, that win at the 2015 tournament.

Line-ups

Spain

Formation 4-3-3

  • 13Paños
  • 8Torrejón
  • 4Paredes
  • 16León Cebrián
  • 7CorrederaBooked at 90mins
  • 11PutellasSubstituted forGarcíaat 73'minutes
  • 14Torrecilla
  • 6LosadaSubstituted forBonmatíat 45'minutes
  • 19SampedroSubstituted forGarcíaat 45'minutes
  • 10Hermoso
  • 9Caldentey Oliver

Substitutes

  • 1Gallardo Núñez
  • 2Jiménez Delgado
  • 3Ouahabi
  • 5Andrés
  • 12Guijarro Gutiérrez
  • 15Meseguer
  • 17García
  • 18Bonmatí
  • 20Pereira
  • 21Falcón
  • 22García
  • 23Quiñones Goikoetxea

South Africa

Formation 4-4-2

  • 16Dlamini
  • 2Ramalepe
  • 5van WykBooked at 69mins
  • 4Matlou
  • 3VilakaziBooked at 82mins
  • 9MthandiSubstituted forSeoposenweat 56'minutes
  • 19BiyanaBooked at 77mins
  • 15Jane
  • 10MotlhaloSubstituted forNdimeniat 52'minutes
  • 8FulutudiluSubstituted forSmedaat 77'minutes
  • 11Kgatlana

Substitutes

  • 1Mpuru
  • 6Makhabane
  • 7Dhlamini
  • 12Seoposenwe
  • 13Mbane
  • 14Makhubela
  • 17Smeda
  • 18Gamede
  • 20Swart
  • 21Ndimeni
  • 22Mulaudzi
  • 23Holweni
Referee:
María Carvajal
Attendance:
12,044

Match Stats

Home TeamSpainAway TeamSouth Africa
Possession
Home73%
Away27%
Shots
Home27
Away5
Shots on Target
Home12
Away2
Corners
Home5
Away2
Fouls
Home12
Away13

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Spain 3, South Africa 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Spain 3, South Africa 1.

  3. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Leandra Smeda (South Africa) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  4. Booking

    Marta Corredera (Spain) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Marta Corredera (Spain).

  6. Post update

    Jermaine Seoposenwe (South Africa) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  7. Post update

    Attempt saved. Nahikari García (Spain) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Mariona with a cross.

  8. Post update

    Corner, Spain. Conceded by Jermaine Seoposenwe.

  9. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Lucía García (Spain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jenni Hermoso.

  10. Goal!

    Goal! Spain 3, South Africa 1. Lucía García (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Virginia Torrecilla with a through ball.

  11. Post update

    Attempt missed. Irene Paredes (Spain) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Marta Torrejón with a headed pass following a corner.

  12. Post update

    Corner, Spain. Conceded by Refiloe Jane.

  13. Post update

    Foul by Marta Corredera (Spain).

  14. Post update

    Jermaine Seoposenwe (South Africa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  15. Goal!

    Goal! Spain 2, South Africa 1. Jenni Hermoso (Spain) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.

  16. Dismissal

    Second yellow card to Nothando Vilakazi (South Africa) for a bad foul.

  17. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  18. Post update

    Delay in match (Spain). VAR checking.

  19. Post update

    VAR: Penalty Kick. Referee decision on field cancelled.

  20. Post update

    Penalty Spain. Lucía García draws a foul in the penalty area.

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1France11004043
2Norway11003033
3Nigeria100103-30
4South Korea100104-40

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Spain11003123
2Germany11001013
3China100101-10
4South Africa100113-20

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Australia00000000
2Brazil00000000
3Italy00000000
4Jamaica00000000

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Argentina00000000
2England00000000
3Japan00000000
4Scotland00000000

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Cameroon00000000
2Canada00000000
3Netherlands00000000
4New Zealand00000000

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Chile00000000
2Sweden00000000
3Thailand00000000
4USA00000000
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