China 2-1 Singapore

Source

Filepic of Zheng Zhi

Kunming: Midfielder Zheng Zhi scored two minutes after coming off the bench as China overcame a 1-0 half-time deficit to defeat Singapore 2-1 in their 2014 FIFA World Cup, third round qualification opener on Friday.

China were playing their first competitive fixture under new boss Jose Antonio Camacho but Singapore threatened to rain on the former Spain and Real Madrid manager's parade when veteran striker Aleksandar Duric gave the Lions the lead 33 minutes into the match at the Tuodong Stadium.

China had eased into the third round with an emphatic 13-2 aggregate win over Laos but Singapore were an entirely different proposition and the Chinese needed the awarding of a 69^th minute penalty to get back on to level terms.

In the 67^th minute Zheng replaced Hang Bowen, who plays his club football with AFC Champions League quarter-finalists Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, and despite being on the park for a little over 120 seconds, the former Celtic midfielder kept his nerve to beat Singapore keeper Lionel Lewis, who himself was a second-half substitute having came on for Izwan Mahbud in the 54^th minute.

The Home United custodian was picking the ball out of the Singapore net for a second time in the 73^rd minute when Yu Hai added to the two-time Chinese Super League Player of the Year's spot-kick with what transpired to be the winning goal.

Raddy Avramovic will need to lift the Lions in time for Tuesday's visit of 2007 AFC Asian Cup winners Iraq while China's second Group A fixture sees them take on Jordan on the same day in Amman.