The Matildasā line-up of international friendly matches continues to grow with confirmation that Alen Stajcicās 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 āSeven Consulting International Seriesā at Panthers Stadium, Penrith (November 10) and McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle (November 13), which was announced earlier on Tuesday.
Stajcic said his sideās friendlies against France and England will offer the players selected with a fantastic opportunity to test themselves against some of the worldās best.
āIt is very exciting to play the worldās number three (France) and four (England) ranked teams,ā said Stajcic. āEngland, having made the semi-finals in the last FIFA Womenās 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.ā
āAustralia has a great rivalry with England in sport and I hope this match continues to evoke that same passion and engagement that weāve seen in so many other codes over the years,ā he concluded..
Neville said: āAfter 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.
āItās 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. Weāre all looking forward to testing ourselves against challenging opposition and Iām sure our fans will come out in good numbers to show their support.ā – www.the-afc.com
