Lineth Cedeno of Panama celebrates scoring her team's first goal during the playoff game against Paraguay in Hamilton, New Zealand, February 23, 2023. /CFP
Panama became the final team to book their ticket for the upcoming Women's World Cup after they defeated Paraguay 1-0 in the final qualifying playoff at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Thursday.
Panama, who will play at the World Cup for the first time, will be in Group F with France, Jamaica and Brazil.
Substitute Lineth Cedeno secured a sensational victory for Panama with a 75th-minute goal after she headed home a free kick played into the box by captain Marta Cox.
Cedeno, who came off the bench in the second half, collected a yellow card for taking off her shirt during the goal celebration.
Haitian players celebrate for their qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup after their victory in the playoff against Chile in Auckland, New Zealand, February 22, 2023. /CFP
Portugal and Haiti were the other two teams who booked their spots at the World Cup from the final qualifying playoffs that were held in Auckland and nearby Hamilton on Wednesday.
Haiti has qualified for the elite tournament for the first time after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Chile, while Portugal beat Cameroon 2-1.
Portugal will be in Group E with the United States, Vietnam and the Netherlands
China, ranked 14th in the world, are grouped with England (No. 4), Denmark (No. 18) and Haiti (No. 55) in the finals.
World No. 1 United States are the defending world champions after they beat the Netherlands in the 2019 World Cup final in France.
This year's World Cup, co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia from July 20 to August 20, will be the first one to feature 32 teams.
China's Zhang Linyan battles for the ball against Marissa Sheva of Republic of Ireland during the international friendly match in Algeciras, Spain, February 22, 2023. /CFP
Earlier this month, Chinese women's football team played four friendly games in Spain for World Cup warm-ups. They defeated Real Betis 2-1 and Sporting de Huelva 4-0, but lost to the Swedish women's team 4-1 and tied a goalless draw with the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday.
"We want to simulate playing against opponents like England and Denmark through these games to discover our problems and weaknesses," Chinese captain Wang Shanshan told Xinhua. "Their play is more direct, and their attack and defense are getting faster and faster, which is really a challenge for us."
"We try to figure out their play by watching analysis videos and then make some plans," the 33-year-old veteran said, noting that European teams have made significant progress in recent years and their tactics are more masculine, which is the trend in women's football.
Wang, an Asia Cup champion and AFC's best lineup of the year 2022, also underlined that she and her teammates would face tremendous physical and psychological pressure this year, as they will play the Asian Games and Paris Olympic qualifications straight after the World Cup.
(With input from agencies)