The Fifa Secretary General acknowledges New Zealand’s lack of Women’s World Cup ticket purchases and also talks growth in women's football. Video / NZ Herald
Hawke’s Bay’s link with the Fifa Women’s World Cup is taking shape with the arrival of the Vietnam and New Zealand Football Ferns teams in Napier for their final shakedown, before the start of the July 20-August 20 tournament being played throughout New Zealand and Australia.
The Vietnamese flew into Hawke’s Bay Airport early on Thursday, followed about 24 hours later by the New Zealand Football Ferns, to play a pre-tournament friendly at McLean Park on Monday, starting at 5.30pm.
It’s the last match for each side before the 32-nation tournament’s opener 10 days later between the Football Ferns and Norway at Eden Park, Auckland.
Napier City Council events manager Kevin Murphy hopes the match, football’s first full-international at McLean Park involving a New Zealand side, will attract at least 5000 spectators to help restore some of the park’s mojo.
Despite visits from Fifa officials and competing nations representatives during the tournament planning process over the last two years, Napier missed out on bids to be a match venue and a teams host.
Despite a world ranking of 32 (New Zealand is ranked No 26), a pre-tournament Covid hit that affected 20 of the 23 in the squad, and the toughest of pool-match draws (including defending champion the US and 2019 beaten finalist the Netherlands), the Vietnam team arrived in a buoyant mood after being beaten just 2-1 on June 25 by world No 2 and two-time world champions Germany, in Germany.
The Vietnamese Fifa Women's World Cup football team arriving at Hawke's Bay Airport on Thursday afternoon for Monday's friendly against the NZ Football Ferns at McLean Park, Napier. Photo / Paul Taylor
Team captain Tran Thi Thuy Trang told Fifa.com that playing in the Fifa Women’s World Cup is a dream come true for all Vietnamese players.
“I’ve watched a lot of teams participating in the World Cup over the years and dreamed of participating in it myself,” she said. “I am very proud and very happy we have qualified. I think this will be the most memorable moment of my life.”
Of the recent Covid episode, and the Germany experience, she said: “It was very difficult in terms of energy, but the whole team tried their best in the matches, and we did it.
“When the referee blew the whistle to end the game, the whole team was bursting with happiness,” she said. “We were very emotional and happy. The coaching staff and the entire squad celebrated this victory together. We had overcome a lot.”
As in New Zealand, the tournament is seen as a game-changer for women’s football in the respective countries, and Trang said: “This will hopefully be the platform for it to develop more. In general, Vietnamese women’s football is growing. Today, young players are all in good shape and have good technique and strategic thinking.”
The Football Ferns have played seven games this year, failing to score any goals in two losses to the US, two to Argentina, one to Portugal and one to Nigeria, their only goal thus far in 2023 coming in a 1-1 draw with Iceland on February 23.
The Vietnamese weren’t wasting any time, heading for a 4pm training session at McLean Park on Thursday, and the New Zealand team’s first training at the park was scheduled for Saturday morning.
Football Ferns media information did not feature any public engagement before the game, but there is a fan event on Tuesday at 2pm at the “Unity Pitch” at the Marine Parade Sound Shell, as part of the two-day event programme there on Monday and Tuesday. The team will remain in Napier until flying to Auckland next Thursday to enter cup camp.
Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 50 years of journalism experience in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.
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