England boss Mark Sampson has targeted victory in the CFA International Women’s Football Tournament.
The Lionesses are in China for a three-team friendly competition just over three months after winning bronze at the World Cup in Canada.
China v England
CFA International Women's Football Tournament
9am (BST), Friday 23 October 2015
Chongqing, China
They opened their Euro 2017 qualifying campaign with an 8-0 win over Estonia and will use the next two matches as preparation for their upcoming qualifier against Bosnia & Herzegovina in November, as well as an introduction to a senior international tournament for four squad newcomers – Hannah Blundell, Drew Spence, Laura Coombs and Beth Mead.
England face China on Friday 23 October (9am BST kick-off) followed by Australia on Tuesday 27 October (8am GMT kick-off).
Sampson said: "This is an important tournament for the team. We have only just come back from a very successful World Cup and now we have got to continue our journey.
"This is a good opportunity for us to play against two very good teams in a very different and unique environment for us, which is a challenge we are very much looking forward to.
"We’ll approach this tournament the way we do every tournament – we are here to win it. We have brought some younger players with us who will hopefully be part of our journey over the next two years.
"This is a great experience for them against two very good international teams, and hopefully in front of a good crowd as well."
Sampson signs an autograph for a Chinese fan in Chongqing ahead of Friday's game
On Friday, Sampson will be lining up alongside former France boss Bruno Bini, who was appointed China manager in September.
Sampson said: "It’s great to see Bruno back involved in the game at international level.
"He played a big part in France’s development as a women’s football nation.
"He deserves an opportunity to come back into the game and I’m sure with his knowledge and experience, and working with some excellent Chinese players, he can be successful."
England’s next home game is against Bosnia & Herzegovina on Sunday 29 November (3.30pm KO) as part of their UEFA Women’s 2017 Euro qualifying campaign.
Tickets are on sale now priced £5 for adults and £2.50 for children. A family ticket (two adults and two children) is available at £10 and group booking discounts apply. Tickets can be purchased via TheFA.com/Tickets or by calling 01179 630 600.
CHINA: Our #Lionesses enjoyed their first training session ahead of their first game in the Far East on Friday https://t.co/tz3fXkbqLc
— England (@england) October 22, 2015
