Tessa Nicol has made history as the first female coach in Oceania to achieve the OFC/NZF Goalkeeping B Licence, marking a significant milestone for women’s football and coach development across the region.

Having progressed through the New Zealand Football coaching pathway, Nicol first impressed on the OFC/NZF Goalkeeping C Licence before continuing her development and earning the advanced B Licence qualification.

“I feel really honoured to have been invested in by both New Zealand Football and OFC,” Nicol said.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have been mentored by some incredible people, and I’m really proud to say that their belief in me has gotten me to where I am with my coaching. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support.”

While proud of her achievement, Nicol also acknowledged the challenges of being the only woman on the course at times.

“While it has been bittersweet to have gone through my courses as the only woman on them, I know there are some awesome wāhine who have been on and are currently undergoing the goalkeeping courses both in New Zealand and internationally, which is exciting,” she said.

The OFC/NZF Goalkeeping B Licence is designed for coaches working in advanced youth and senior football environments, with a strong focus on evolving coaching practice and preparing coaches for high-performance settings.

“The best learning happens when training looks and feels like the game,” OFC/NZF Coach Educator Chris Marsh remarked.

Photo credit: FIFA Digital Asset Hub 

A key component of the course challenges coaches to move beyond isolated drills and instead create realistic training environments that replicate the demands of match situations, including decision-making under pressure and integrating outfield players into sessions.

Coaching is deeply personal for Nicol. Drawing on her own experiences as a former New Zealand U-20 representative, she is passionate about supporting young goalkeepers both technically and mentally.

“I suffered a lot from performance anxiety, which massively impacted my playing ability, and I know a lot of goalkeepers struggle with the mental side of the game too,” Nicol explained.

“When I decided I wanted to coach, I became really passionate about helping goalkeepers develop resilience and creating environments where players feel safe to make mistakes, learn and grow. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a player achieve something they’ve worked so hard for.”

Marsh believes Nicol’s achievement sends a powerful message to aspiring female coaches throughout Oceania. One of Nicol’s greatest strengths as a coach is her ability to build strong relationships and foster positive learning environments, bringing both energy and personality to her sessions.

“Tessa’s journey shows that there is a genuine pathway for female coaches to progress and operate at the highest levels of the game,” he said.

“Investing in coach development is one of the most important ways we can strengthen football across the region.”

Looking ahead, Nicol hopes her achievement inspires more women to pursue advanced coaching opportunities, particularly within goalkeeping, whilst also hoping to one day see women only goalkeeping coaching courses established within the region.


“I want more women to understand that their football and life experiences are incredibly valuable,” she said.

“If more women give the advanced goalkeeping coaching pathway a go because they’ve seen another woman succeed in this space, then I think that serves a really important purpose. Healthy competition is important, and it can only be a positive thing to have more women coaching at the advanced level.

“We have so many top-level goalkeepers who could become incredible ambassadors in this space.

“I encourage all goalkeepers, whether they are still playing or moving into the next stage of football to start coaching when they can. It’s never too early or too late to begin, and we need more goalkeeper coaches.”

Inspired start your coaching journey?

https://www.nzfootball.co.nz/community/coaching-1/advanced-coaching

You can also register for https://ofclearn.com/ and https://nzflearn.co.nz/home/ for online learning to support coaches.