The Ford Football Ferns have announced their first set of fixtures for the new year, kicking off their new cycle building toward the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 with two games against Costa Rica (FIFA rank 43) in February 2025 in San José. 

The games will be played on Sunday 23 February at 1pm NZT (Saturday 22 February at 6pm local time) and Wednesday 26 February at 11am NZT (Tuesday 25 February at 4pm local time). 

Both games will be played at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, San José, Costa Rica. 

New Zealand Football are also in advanced discussions for games in the April and June FIFA match windows.

The games mark the first time the two teams have faced each other at senior international level. 

The team will be led for these games by interim head coach Michael Mayne. The recruitment process for a permanent head coach will get underway in early 2025.

Interim head coach Michael Mayne is looking forward to getting the team together to start the new cycle for the Ferns:

“It is great to announce these fixtures and kick off a new cycle for the team. 

“What we have at this point, and will use to our advantage, is time to set our intentions and expectations as a team, with a focus on preparing to perform in the qualifying tournament and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, as well as providing our growing pool of talented players with international football experience.

“The past couple of months have centred on understanding where we are at, and what we should focus on, starting in February against Costa Rica, and I’m excited about working with the team on and off the pitch to achieve something great.  

“Costa Rica are a really good fit for us in this window and will provide the perfect test for what I need to see from the players and staff as we embark on this new cycle.”

The two games will be broadcast live and free on FIFA+.


Article added: Wednesday 11 December 2024