Football Ferns coach Tony Readings has selected an exciting squad to contest the Cyprus Cup in March as the team rebuilds towards the 2019 FIFA World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Readings has named a team with plenty of experience – five players have more than 100 internationals for New Zealand in captain Abby Erceg, Amber Hearn, Ria Percival, Ali Riley and Kirsty Yallop – alongside three exciting young players who are new to international football.
Goalkeeper Anna Leat and midfielder Malia Steinmetz, who were standouts at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, get their first call up to the national team alongside forward Martine Puketapu and Paige Satchell who were prominent in the FIFA U-20 World Cup last year. Satchell will look to build on her debut appearance for New Zealand from last year.
Readings is excited to see what his World No 19 team is capable of when they face Scotland (World No 21), Austria (No 24) and Korea Republic (No 18) at the annual tournament.
“It will be great to have the whole group back together, we haven’t had that since the Rio Olympics, so we are looking forward to that energy that this team gets when they reassemble,” said Readings.
Vice-captain Katie Duncan, who has played 119 internationals for New Zealand, was not available for selection.
Readings, who is building for his fourth World Cup and Olympic Games, said the goal now is to build towards 2019 and 2020.
“Every time we represent New Zealand we want to win football matches, but the main focus for us has to be building towards those tournaments. So the goal is building while winning at the same time.”
Readings expected a different challenge from each of the three nations they will face in Cyprus.
“Scotland will be strong, they have just qualified for their first Euros, and they will be looking to peak for that,” he said. “Austria are an emerging team and have some key players that we need to nullify. Korea Republic we have played a few times. We know they are going to be tough. We know that they are technically very gifted players and they are going to cause us problems. It will be great for the younger players to see these different styles and have to adapt.”
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