The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup is coming in hot – and the Junior Football Ferns are finally about to kick off their campaign against Mexico at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela.

Since their arrival in Costa Rica the team has hit the ground running, playing a couple of friendly warm up games – and after going from a cool Kiwi winter to a Costa Rican summer, warm up is the operative word as they’ve grappled with temperatures in the mid-30s and high humidity.

“It’s a little bit of an adjustment, says head coach Gemma Lewis.

“It’s a lot colder in New Zealand at the moment. So we’ve been adjusting to the temperatures and the climate here, and a bit of the time difference. But it's been good preparation.”

A Junior Football Ferns team has only played Mexico once before – that match resulting in a 4-0 defeat back in 2012 – and has never played Colombia or Germany at U-20s level before, so there’s a degree of the unknown and intrigue in their Group B opponents.

Looking ahead to the team’s opening fixture against Mexico – who finished runners up in their qualifying tournament, second only to the USA – Lewis says there’s a mixture of nerves and excitement in the camp as the countdown begins.

For most of the team, Costa Rica is their first opportunity to experience an age group world cup, with the 2020 editions of the U-17 and U-20 Women’s World Cups rendered casualties of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“The girls are extremely nervous, but excited as well,” she says.

“I think it's a lot of build up to get to this first game, so I think we are trying to kind of manage expectations. Ultimately we know we're a bit of an underdog. The girls are excited for the challenge, and we know Mexico is going to be extremely competitive and a tough opposition for us. But the girls are really excited to show what they can do and take on that challenge, and really try and give Mexico a run for their money.”

And while the team’s immediate focus is the task at hand in Costa Rica, with three tough group games to grapple with, they are also getting a taste of the football fever set to hit Aotearoa New Zealand when the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 kicks off on 20 July at Eden Park.

The prospect of impressing at the age group world cup and potentially playing into contention for the home world cup is another motivation for the team, says Lewis.

“The 2023 World Cup being hosted in New Zealand and Australia is such a huge opportunity for New Zealand and the visibility of football there.

“We've seen how successful the Euros have just been, you look at the Champions League recently, like women's football is just growing exponentially. For us to have that in New Zealand, it is going to be massive. I'm not quite sure the country really understands what they're about to experience.

“It's incredible for football and in terms of our players here. They're really wanting to show what they can do on this stage to really put themselves on the front foot, to be able to demonstrate why they should be considered for that 2023 spot with the world cup coming up next year.

“It's almost that extra driver for them and motivation to really want to be able to be a part of a senior home world cup. And they feel like if they can show what they can do here, then they can put themselves on the map.”

How to watch

Fans in Aotearoa can watch the Junior Football Ferns take on Mexico live on Sky Sport NZ. Coverage starts from 7.50am.

Junior Football Ferns Squad for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica

1. Brianna Edwards

2. Zoe McMeeken

3. Kate Taylor

4. Te Reremoana Walker

5. Marisa van der Meer

6. Aniela Jensen

7. Tupelo Dugan

8. Grace Wisnewski

9. Ava Pritchard

10. Alyssa Whinham

11. Charlotte Lancaster

12. Ava Collins

13. Emma Pijnenburg

14. Milly Clegg

15. Charlotte Wilford Carroll

16. Ruby Nathan

17. Ella Findlay

18. Murphy Sheaff

19. Macey Fraser

20. Jana Niedermayr

21. Rylee Godbold

Article added: Wednesday 10 August 2022