Australia names Preliminary Squad For 2022 AFF Women’s Championships

An Australian representative team will travel to the Philippines for the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship to run from 4 – 17 July 2022.

It will be Australia’s sixth appearance at the biennial competition to see who will be crowned champions of the ASEAN region. Following the official draw on 28 May, Australia will face hosts Philippines, and other group members, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand in Group A.

Australia’s group action will commence on 4 July with matches scheduled every two days until the final group fixture on 12 July. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout phase and a chance at the AFF Women’s Championship.

CommBank Matildas Assistant Coach, Melissa Andreatta, has been appointed as head coach for the Australian representative team with Leah Blayney named as her Assistant Coach.

With several FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™ bound nations participating, Andreatta is eagerly anticipating the prospect of providing the next generation of players exposure and growth experiences in a competitive environment and match conditions.

“We have some exciting promising talent across our player pool and since the resumption of international football in 2022, we have been working extremely hard to ensure that they are given every opportunity to grow and develop as players that will represent Australia prominently over the coming years.,” Andreatta said.

“The AFF Women’s Championships is a tournament with great history that will provide the next generation of player Australian footballers with strong learnings as they embark on their next phase of personal and professional development. More competitive match minutes at the highest available intensity will only be beneficial for the national team in the long term.

“Playing in match conditions allows us to work with the group closely and continue integrating them into the style of play that will give them the best foundations to challenge for a position on the roster for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™.”

A little over a month out from the commencement of the tournament, Andreatta has selected a preliminary 35-player squad. With a host of football action to be undertaken over the coming weeks, the squad will be whittled down over the coming weeks.

AFF WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS | GROUP B

• Australia

• Indonesia

• Malaysia

• Philippines

• Singapore

• Thailand

AUSTRALIA PRELIMINARY 35-PLAYER SQUAD | 4-17 JULY 2022