The Football Ferns will play World No 29 Wales in their final build-up game for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

The Tom Sermanni coached team, who last week competed in the Cup of Nations in Australia, managing a win over Argentina in Brisbane, will take on Wales at the Cardiff International Sports Stadium with a 7pm kick-off time.

The fixture comes only three days after the OFC Women’s Nations Cup champions will play World No 4 England in Brighton and seven days before their start to their World Cup where they will face the Netherlands in Le Havre, France.

Sermanni said Wales, who are not competing at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, will be a great fixture to complete their preparation.

“Wales are a proud footballing nation,” he said. “We know that we will go there to Cardiff and have a really tough test. They have not qualified for the World Cup so I am sure they will be looking to prove a point and put in a really strong performance against us.

“Again I have to thank our team at New Zealand Football for the superb work they are doing behind the scenes to confirm this fixture. We have two clear goals at this World Cup; the first is to win a game, and the second is to progress from our group. The fixtures we have confirmed in the build up to the World Cup give us the best opportunity to achieve that.”

New Zealand and Wales have met only once in an A international in 2011 at the Matchworld Cup in Saviese, Switzerland. The Ferns won 2-0 with Anna Green and Amber Hearn the goal scorers on that occasion.

The Football Ferns next internationals will be against Norway in Spain in April. The squad for this tour will be named next week.

Football Ferns international calendar in 2019

Norway v New Zealand
Date: 5 and 9 April (Two internationals, one open, one closed)                            
Venue: Marbella, Spain

USA v New Zealand
Thursday 16 May, 7pm CT (Friday 17 May, 12pm NZT)
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri

England v New Zealand
Date: Saturday 1 June, kick-off 1pm
Venue: Brighton and Hove Albion’s AMEX Stadium

Wales v New Zealand
Date: 4 June, kick off 7pm 
Venue: Cardiff International Sports Stadium, Cardiff
Tickets will go on sale on Monday 1 April on faw.cymru/tickets.

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup draw – Football Ferns games (NZT)
New Zealand v Netherlands
12 June, 1am
Stade Oceane Le Havre

New Zealand v Canada
16 June, 7am
Stade des Alpes, Grenoble

New Zealand v Cameroon
21 June, 4am
Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier

Article added: Friday 08 March 2019