Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimková isn’t daunted by the prospect of playing world No 12 Norway in their first match at next year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup on home soil.
New Zealand will host the Norwegians – a team they lost to 2-0 in Oslo earlier this year – in the opening match of the tournament at Eden Park in Auckland on July 20.
They will then head to Sky Stadium Wellington to play the Philippines – who they defeated in their only previous meeting – on July 25.
Stuff
Ali Riley and the Football Ferns will play in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin at the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
A second European team, Switzerland, then lie in wait at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on July 30.
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Klimková described group A as “competitive” and felt her side would have a chance to get their first World Cup win and advance to the round of 16 as one of the top two sides.
“I’ve said it many times – the gaps between the teams are not so big.
“It’s not about having strong opposition or weak opposition. All those teams that are here, they have a reason to be here. They have qualities. Women’s football is growing, it’s improving.
“It will be competitive. At the end of the day, the two best teams are going to advance and we will do everything to be in those two.”
The Ferns have played 15 World Cup matches across five tournaments, including each of the last four, but their best results to date have been three draws – 2-2 against Mexico in 2011 and 0-0 against Canada and 2-2 against China in 2015.
Their match against the Philippines in Wellington stands out as the one where success will be expected, especially as they got up 2-1 when the two teams met in California in September, courtesy of a Meikayla Moore penalty and a winner from captain Ali Riley.
Though they lost to Norway in June, they did win their previous meeting against the Scandinavian nation, in April 2019, 1-0 and Klimková felt her side’s performance in this year’s defeat was nevertheless their best in her 14 matches in charge.
She said that while they were at their best mentally in coming from behind to beat the Philippines, with regard to producing “a good quality” tactical and technical performance, the Norway match had been the pick of the bunch.
Switzerland will be a less familiar opponent, as the Ferns haven’t played them since 2014, when they lost 2-1 at the Cyprus Cup.
Their four meetings before that all ended in New Zealand wins, but like many other teams from Europe, Switzerland have made great strides over the past eight years.
The 21st-ranked Swiss sit just above the 22nd-ranked Ferns in the Fifa rankings while the Philippines are currently ranked 53rd.
Since Klimková took charge of the Ferns last September, they have had three wins, two draws and nine losses.
Against teams ranked in the top 16 in the world by Fifa, they have played eight and lost eight, but against teams ranked lower, they have played six and had three wins, two draws, and one loss.
Ricky Wilson/Stuff
Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimková walked the green carpet prior to Saturday night’s draw.
A total of 29 matches will be played in New Zealand during the World Cup next year, with the two-time defending champion United States, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands and Japan the notable teams set to visit Kiwi shores.
The US will meet the Netherlands in a rematch of the last World Cup final in Wellington on July 27, which promises to be a spectacle for local fans.
Those two will be joined in group E by Vietnam and one of Portugal, Cameroon or Thailand, after those three teams contest a playoff in New Zealand next February.
Spain are the top-ranked team in group C, alongside Japan, Costa Rica and Zambia.
Sweden are the top-ranked team in group G and will be joined by South Africa, Italy and Argentina.
Groups B, D, F and H will be played in Australia, as will all the knockout stage matches featuring the teams from those groups and the playoff for third and the final.
In addition to 24 group stage matches, New Zealand will host two round of 16 matches, two quarterfinals and a semifinal featuring teams from groups A, C, E and G.
2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup groups
Group A: New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland
Group B: Australia, Republic of Ireland, Nigeria, Canada
Group C: Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia, Japan
Group D: England, Chile/Haiti/Senegal, Denmark, China
Group E: United States, Vietnam, Netherlands, Portugal/Cameroon/Thailand
Group F: France, Jamaica, Brazil, Panama/Papua New Guinea/Paraguay/Taiwan
Group G: Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Argentina
Group H: Germany, Morocco, Colombia, South Korea
RYAN ANDERSON/STUFF
Football Ferns players were buzzing after an early wake-up call last June to watch the announcement of who would host the Fifa Women’s World Cup in 2023. (First published June 2020)
Football Ferns fixtures
Thursday, July 20: v Norway; Eden Park, Auckland
Tuesday, July 25: v Philippines; Sky Stadium, Wellington
Sunday, July 30: v Switzerland; Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Other matches in New Zealand
Friday, July 21: Spain v Costa Rica; Wellington
Friday, July 21: Philippines v Switzerland; Dunedin
Saturday, July 22: United States v Vietnam; Auckland
Saturday, July 22: Zambia v Japan; Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
Sunday, July 23: Sweden v South Africa; Wellington
Sunday, July 23: Netherlands v Portugal/Cameroon/Thailand; Dunedin
Monday, July 24: Italy v Argentina; Auckland
Tuesday, July 25: Switzerland v Norway; Hamilton
Wednesday, July 26: Spain v Zambia; Auckland
Wednesday, July 26: Japan v Costa Rica; Dunedin
Thursday, July 27: Portugal/Cameroon/Thailand v Vietnam; Hamilton
Thursday, July 27: United States v Netherlands; Wellington
Friday, July 28: Argentina v South Africa; Dunedin
Saturday, July 29: Sweden v Italy; Wellington
Sunday, July 30: Norway v Philippines; Auckland
Monday, July 31: Costa Rica v Zambia; Hamilton
Monday, July 31: Japan v Spain; Wellington
Tuesday, August 1: Portugal/Cameroon/Thailand v United States; Auckland
Tuesday, August 1: Vietnam v Netherlands; Dunedin
Wednesday, August 2: Argentina v Sweden; Hamilton
Wednesday, August 2: South Africa v Italy; Wellington
Saturday, August 5: Round of 16 – group A winner v group C runner-up; Auckland
Saturday, August 5: Round of 16 – group C winner v group A runner-up; Wellington
Friday, August 11: Quarterfinal; Auckland
Friday, August 11: Quarterfinal; Wellington
Tuesday, August 15: Semifinal; Auckland
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