Football Ferns will end the year against their most familiar rival. Photo: Photosport
Matildas v Football Ferns
Friday, 28 November
Kick-off 9.30pm
Polytec Stadium, Gosford, Australia
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
The Football Ferns will end the year against a side brimming with stars and a nation that they have not beaten in more than 30 years.
Two games against the Matildas in Australia would be a stern test for the New Zealanders as they look ahead to the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2027, for which qualifying starts early next year.
Fifteenth in the FIFA rankings the Matildas were a long way ahead of the 33rd ranked Football Ferns and history is on the Australians' side.
The Football Ferns have faced Australia 53 times, which was more than any other opponent, with the Australians winning three times as often as the New Zealanders over the years. The last time New Zealand beat the trans-Tasman rivals was in 1994 in Port Moresby.
This series would be a homecoming for one of the Matildas' biggest names, Sam Kerr. Kerr returned to the national side in October after a lay-off with an ACL injury and the Football Ferns games will be her first games at home in two years.
Australian footballer Sam Kerr. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Form
The last time the two sides met was in a 2022 two-match series, with the Matildas winning 2-1 and 3-1 on their home soil.
Both teams were active in the last international window last month with the Football Ferns playing Mexico, twice, and the Olympic champion United States for three losses.
New Zealand failed to score a goal and conceded nine.
The Matildas beat Wales in the last window 2-1 and then lost to England 3-0.
Bigger picture
The games against Australia would be the Football Ferns' final hitout before the Oceania qualifiers for the Football World Cup which kick off in February and March next year.
The Football Ferns play Samoa and Solomon Islands in the early part of the qualification process.
Whereas, for the Matildas this international window was the last before next year's AFC Women's Asian Cup which will be hosted in Australia. For that 12-team tournament Australia were grouped with South Korea, Iran and Philippines.
What they are saying
Football Ferns coach Michael Mayne said he wanted his side to avoid the "trap" of the pressure of chasing the first win over the Matildas in many of the players' lifetime.
"Once you start to get into that the emotion starts to play the game as opposed to sticking to what I'm wanting to see from the players.
"They hold all of the cards in terms of previous performances, you can look at their squad, look for where their coach as come from, on paper they are a very strong group and we know that but we spend very little time focusing on them because that only drives the things I don't want to drive within this group and how they approach it."
Matildas coach Joe Montemurro said that this was an important window for the squad.
"We have selected a squad of experienced leaders who know what it means to represent Australia, as well as younger players who will be crucial to our ongoing success.
"The goal is to create a strong and competitive environment where we can test combinations and ensure that each time we step onto the pitch, we are ready to perform at our best."
Squads
Football Ferns: Liz Anton, CJ Bott, Kelli Brown, Claudia Bunge, Olivia Chance, Milly Clegg, Victoria Esson, Michaela Foster, Ally Green, Maya Hahn, Jacqui Hand, Betsy Hassett, Deven Jackson, Katie Kitching, Anna Leat, Annalie Longo, Meikayla Moore, Emma Pijnenburg, Gabi Rennie, Indiah-Paige Riley, Alina Santos, Kate Taylor, Lara Wall, Grace Wisnewski.
Matildas: Mackenzie Arnold, Ellie Carpenter, Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Charlotte Grant, Winonah Heatley, Michelle Heyman, Clare Hunt, Kahli Johnson, Alanna Kennedy, Sam Kerr, Chloe Lincoln, Holly McNamara, Teagan Micah, Courtney Nevin, Hayley Raso, Amy Sayer, Remy Siemsen, Kaitlyn Torpey, Emily Van Egmond, Clare Wheeler, Tameka Yallop
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