On October 8th at Wuhan Sports Center, with a last-minute goal by young player Jiang Chenjing in the 89th minute, Wuhan Chegu Jiangda Women’s Football Team defeated the Oceania champions Auckland United Women’s Football Team 1-0, achieving a perfect start in the inaugural International Women’s Football Champions Cup.
This was not just a 90-minute battle, but the writing of a new chapter in history. The significance of this victory goes far beyond the score—it acts like a multifaceted prism, reflecting the spiritual continuity of a team, illuminating the breakthrough dawn of Chinese women’s football, and etching the determined footsteps of a “football city.”
Tradition Lifts the Opening Victory
On October 8th, Wuhan Sports Center welcomed 32,318 fans. Following the Women’s AFC Champions League final in May this year, this number once again broke the home attendance record for Wuhan women’s football team history.
Throughout the match, cheers never ceased. Even when the game remained deadlocked with no breakthrough until the second half, chants of “Jiangda must win” still resounded through the stadium. However, the massive fan base held its breath twice, with tens of thousands of eyes fixed on the gestures of the main referee.
In the 73rd minute, Song Duan made a long pass from the right wing, Wang Shuang received the ball and shot into the net, sending the entire stadium into celebration; but VAR intervened and ruled it offside, turning cheers into sighs instantly. Finally, in the 89th minute, substitute Jiang Chenjing pushed the ball into the net, but the assistant referee raised the flag for offside. VAR overturned the call again—when the referee pointed to the center circle, mountain-like cheers finally erupted.
Jiang Chenjing raised her arms in triumph, while Wang Shuang ran toward her from behind. Two generations of Wuhan football daughters embraced tightly.
