DALIAN, China, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Shijiazhuang Ever Bright was relegated from the Chinese Super League (CSL) to League One when it lost 2-1 to Wuhan Zall in the second leg of their playoffs on Wednesday.
Evrard Kouassi turned out to be the hero of the crucial game as he scored a brace for the Wuhan side.
The Cote d'Ivoir striker opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Shijiazhuang goalkeeper Zhang Zhenqiang failed to hold a cross from the right and Kouassi fired the loose ball past the helpless Zhang.
Shijiazhuang equalized in the 55th minute through Brazilian forward Matheus Nascimento who outpaced a Wuhan defender to tap in a low cross.
Kouassi sealed the win for Wuhan in the 86th minute when the ball was deflected to him, unmarked facing the goal, and he easily tapped it in.
Shijiazhuang, who drew with Wuhan 0-0 in their first leg, finished bottom of the Coronavirus-affected season and was relegated.
Wuhan will vie with Zhejiang Greentown, the runner-up of the second-tier league, for a CSL spot next season in another two-legged playoffs, which will take place on November 18 and 22.
The title of the CSL 2020 campaign will be decided on Thursday when defending champion Guangzhou Evergrande takes on Jiangsu Suning in the second leg of their clash. Their first leg ended 0-0. Enditem
