The Matildasâ line-up of international friendly matches continues to grow with confirmation that Alen Stajcicâs team will play England in London on October 9.
Moreover, the high-profile friendly fixture comes just a month before the team will return to home soil to take on Chile in the two-match âSeven Consulting International Seriesâ at Panthers Stadium, Penrith (November 10) and McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle (November 13), which was announced earlier on Tuesday.
Stajcic said his sideâs friendlies against France and England will offer the players selected with a fantastic opportunity to test themselves against some of the worldâs best.
âIt is very exciting to play the worldâs number three (France) and four (England) ranked teams,â said Stajcic. âEngland, having made the semi-finals in the last FIFA Womenâs World Cup have continued to improve, and under new coach Phil Neville have transformed their playing style while going through undefeated in World Cup qualifying.â
âAustralia has a great rivalry with England in sport and I hope this match continues to evoke that same passion and engagement that weâve seen in so many other codes over the years,â he concluded..
Neville said: âAfter the euphoria of securing qualification to the World Cup last Friday, we can now focus on a solid nine-month preparation period and these friendlies will form an important part of those plans.
âItâs been an incredible year for the Lionesses, but the hard work has only just started. The next nine months will be crucial and it begins with these friendlies. Weâre all looking forward to testing ourselves against challenging opposition and Iâm sure our fans will come out in good numbers to show their support.â – www.the-afc.com