New Zealand’s women’s national team will embark on a European tour in June to take on Norway and Wales in international friendly fixtures.
The Football Ferns will play Norway in Oslo on Saturday, June 25, at 5.00pm local time (Sunday, June 26, 3.00am NZT), before heading to Pinatar, Spain, to take on Wales on Tuesday, June 28, at 7.00pm local time (Wednesday, June 29, 5.00am NZT).
“These games present a great opportunity to continue to learn about our player pool, build a stronger culture within the squad, and play games in Europe where many of our players are based and won’t have to endure long-haul travel,” New Zealand head coach Jitka Klimková said .
“We realised (previously) in Australia that if we stay connected on and off the field we can compete against any opponent in the world.
“As we continue our preparations for the opening match of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, we’re delighted to have these high-calibre opposition confirmed. Both Norway and Wales are on a good run of form, and are at important parts of their own preparations for the Euros and of course and World Cup qualification, so will be very competitive opponents.”
Norway are currently ranked 11 in the world in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings and will present a stern test for New Zealand.
The Ferns last played Norway at the 2020 Algarve Cup in the third-place playoff, where they were defeated 2-1.
Wales are currently ranked 31 in the most recent FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings and are battling hard to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™.
New Zealand last played Wales in a friendly prior to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, going down 1-0.
New Zealand confirmed fixtures:
New Zealand v Norway – International friendly
Saturday, June 25, at 5.00pm local time (Sunday, June 26, 3.00am NZT)
Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo, Norway
New Zealand v Wales – International friendly
Tuesday, June 28, at 7.00pm local time (Wednesday, June 29, 5.00am NZT).
Pinatar Arena, Pinatar, Spain.
Courtesy of NZF