NZ Football rallying support for FIFA World Cup squad

Squad picture of the New Zealand Football Ferns FIFA Women’s World Cup team announcement.
Photo: Lynne Cameron/www.photosport.nz

“We are only 20 days away people, 20 days!”

Those were the words from New Zealand Football president Johanna Wood during Friday’s announcement of the 23-player Football Ferns squad for the FIFA World Cup.

The squad contains 10 World Cup debutants, but also has eight players with more than 80 caps.

Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimkova has had 30 players in a nine week camp ahead of the tournament and says making the final cut wasn’t easy.

“I’m a very people-orientated coach, I don’t just coach football, I coach people who play football.

“So it was very tough, it was tough emotionally, specifically to inform the player she has not been selected and so there were a lot of emotions involved and so yesterday I was pretty exhausted.”

One of those to have made the cut is 17-year-old Milly Clegg who is about to be part of her third World Cup in just over a year.

The Wellington Phoenix forward played in the under-17 and then under-20 tournaments in the last 12 months.

New Zealand and Australia won the rights to host the tournament in 2020, at that stage playing in the event was a long way from Clegg’s mind.

Milly Clegg was joined at the shirt presentation by her family.
Photo: Lynne Cameron/www.photosport.nz

“I think I was maybe 14 at the time and so you just don’t even think about that.

“I was obviously still really young and idolising the Ferns and so I never expected that kind of thing to happen.”

At the other end of the scale midfielder Annalie Longo who is about to play her fifth World Cup.

The 31-year-old was in a race against time to be fit after suffering a serious knee injury in September.

She hasn’t played since, but has been training with the Ferns for a number of weeks.

Longo says her support group pushed her as hard as they could to get her ready and they were rewarded with the announcement of her name today.

“When you look at the carrot at the end of it with the home World Cup, there is nothing more.

“So I was definitely determined and definitely had doubts at times.

“But we stuck to the plan and the plans come true and now I’ve made the World Cup squad and so I’m very very proud and very excited.”

Annalie Longo is back from a knee injury to play at a home world cup.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Another player with more than a hundred caps is striker Hannah Wilkinson, who has been named for her fourth World Cup and has called it a full circle moment.

“My first World Cup was an honour because I made it as a young footballer with a lot of dreams and this one now is extra special because all my hard work has brought me home to play in front of my friends and family.”

It was also an emotional day for defender Rebekah Stott who in early 2021 was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer.

She returned to the game last year and now will be making a third World Cup appearance.

Stott admits it’s been a tough couple of years.

“I think there’s nothing better than playing in front of your family and friends and a home crowd so it’s very special for us and it’ll be the biggest moment in our careers.”

The squad will assemble in a week for a final warmup game against Vietnam in Napier with the tournament opener at Eden park against Norway on July 20th.

Football Ferns striker Hannah Wilkinson with FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer Sarai Bareman.
Photo: Photosport

-RNZ