Talents like Wang Shuang do not come around often. Especially for the China PR women's football team.
A free-scoring midfielder who has already won more than 100 caps despite still being only 26, and who was good enough to be signed by Paris Saint-Germain three years ago.
On Saturday, she could not have done any more to get the Steel Roses up and running at the Tokyo Olympics in their second match, following a 5-0 defeat to Brazil in their Group F opener.
Against a side sitting 89 places below the 15th-ranked Chinese in the world rankings, Wang Shuang notched a hat-trick inside 23 minutes on her way to a remarkable four-goal outing.
The only problem? China somehow contrived to throw away a two-goal lead against world No. 115 Zambia, and then needed an 89th-minute penalty from Wang to bail them out and salvage a 4-4 draw.
Football is a team sport and the rest of Wang's team mates cannot be faulted for their effort.
However, there is also a feeling that it will be a real missed opportunity for China if they cannot capitalise on boasting a generational talent of her ability by providing her a slightly stronger supporting cast.
Given her relative youth, there is still time for Chinese women's football to bring a couple more talents through in the coming years in hopes of achieving success at least on the continental stage, with the eight-time Asian champions' last triumph coming in 2006.
In the immediate future, China must somehow get a result against 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup runners-up Netherlands to stand any chance of advancing into the Olympic quarter-finals.
Defeat leaves Nadeshiko with much to do
Japan may no longer be the powerhouses they once were when they were crowned world champions in 2011, and followed that up with a silver medal at the London Games a year later.
Yet, as the host nation and still ranked 10th in the world, they would have been expecting to make the knockout round at the very least.
After an opening 1-1 draw with Canada, Nadeshiko were defeated 1-0 by Great Britain on Saturday -- leaving them languishing in third spot in Group E.
Along with the group winners and runners-up, the two best third-placed teams advance into the quarters as well so all is not lost for the Japanese.
But should they fail to beat Chile on Tuesday, alarm bells will start ringing.