The CommBank Junior Matildas will hold their first training camp since advancing to Round 2 of the 2024 AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra from 15 – 19 May 2023.
Last month the U-17 Women’s ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Team finished top of Group B with strong victories over Mongolia and Chinese Taipei in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to progress to the second phase of qualification.
A 30-player squad has been selected for the assembly with 11 members of the Round 1 Qualifiers squad called in, another eight players returning to the national team camp and ten fresh faces provided an opportunity to show their quality.
Head coach Rae Dower expressed her delight with how the team negotiated the first round of qualifiers and the switch of the focus to Round 2.
“We are really pleased and proud of the way that we went about our Round 1 Qualifiers. For many players, it was their first time representing Australia and there were some obvious nerves that went along with that,” Dower said.
“Our performances were commanding, in difficult conditions with falling snow, on a synthetic pitch, so to qualify on top of the group in the way that we did was very pleasing. At times we played some exceptional football and it’s exciting to see what this team is capable of.”
The Draw for 2024 AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup Round 2 Qualifiers will be held on 18 May 2023 where the eight teams for this stage will be drawn into two groups of four. May’s camp is the starting point for the U17s journey to the Round 2 qualifiers to be played from 16 – 24 September 2023.
“We’re excited about what lies ahead and so the opportunity to get straight back into camp and get back to work is motivating,” Dower continued.
“We’ll learn our Round 2 opponents and venue this week, so we want to keep moving forward and building momentum so we can continue to improve and realise the potential of the group. We’ve conducted another two Elite Matches in Adelaide and Brisbane since we’ve returned and have opened up the group to some returning players and some new ones.
“The depth across the country is exceptional and stronger than it has ever been. We have a long list of 70+ players, so this camp was always going to be about providing new players with an opportunity, on the back of some good form in their home states. The continued competition for places will drive the level up further and it continues to send the message to players across the country that if you’re playing well, you will get an opportunity,” she concluded.
