Last updated on July 12th, 2023 at 05:40 pm
New Zealand, the co-host of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, beat Vietnam in a friendly match at McLean Park in Napier, a coastal city on New Zealand’s North Island, on Monday.
Jitka Klimkova, the head coach of the Football Ferns, the New Zealand women’s national football team, lauded the performance of the team in the final warmup before the World Cup.
Monday’s victory was New Zealand’s first win on home soil since June 2012. New Zealand grabbed a 2-0 win over Vietnam on Monday.
Jitka Klimkova told Sky Sport NZ, “This was really important for us, this win and this performance.” New Zealand dominated the match from the start.
CJ Bott, also known as Catherine Joan Bott, helped New Zealand to win the match. First-half goals from defender CJ Bott and Jacqui Hand, a forward for the New Zealand national team, helped the team to gain victory. Their last victory was a 2-1 win over the Philippines team in a friendly in the US last year.
Annalie Longo, an association football player who represents New Zealand at international level, played the last 20 minutes of the contest. Her return to New Zealand after recovering from a serious knee injury also helped the team.
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New Zealand, co-hosting the World Cup with Australia, will play against former champions Norway in Group A on July 20.
Klimkova said, “We know Norway is a tough opposition but we can promise that we will leave everything on the field and we will work hard for this country. We really want to make this nation proud.”
Women’s World Cup teams
- Group A: New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland
- Group B: Australia, Nigeria, Republic of Ireland, Canada
- Group C: Costa Rica, Japan, Spain, Zambia
- Group D: China, Denmark, England, Haiti
- Group E: Netherlands, Portugal, United States, Vietnam
- Group F: Brazil, France, Jamaica, Panama
- Group G: Argentina, Italy, South Africa, Sweden
- Group H: Colombia, Germany, South Korea, Morocco
