CommBank Junior Matildas’ head coach Rae Dower has named the final 23-player squad for the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup Indonesia 2024™ Qualifying Round 2.
Australia’s U-17 Women’s National Team have been drawn in Group B with matches held from 16 – 24 September 2023 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Following extensive scouting across Australia and a successful tour of the Korea Republic in June, Dower has selected a squad that combines 15 experienced campaigners from the Round 1 Qualifying with eight fresh faces set to make their international debuts.
Head Coach Rae Dower stated that the selected squad was inspired and primed to battle for a place at next year’s AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup.
“We’re so excited to head to Hanoi, off the back of the CommBank Matildas’ amazing performances at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and take another step towards securing our own FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualification,” Dower said.
“We know that our opponents will be just as determined to secure that coveted spot at the Asian Cup finals next year, so we are under no illusions that the three matches will be hotly contested in trying conditions.
“We want to continue to evolve our playing style and I believe that the team we have assembled are adaptable and flexible to combat the different opponents we will face.”
Underscoring the national strength of the squad, seven Member Federations are represented through the final 23 including A-League Women’s Sydney FC champion Indiana Dos Santos, new Western Sydney Wanderers FC recruit Talia Younis, and a host of West Australian talent.
The eight fresh faces are a result of the extensive scouting and preparation work undertaken by Football Australia Technical Staff between Round 1 and Round 2 to unearth more promising football from this age group.
“The staff and I can’t believe the depth across this cohort; it is truly extraordinary. In all of my years coaching, this was one of the hardest selection decisions I’ve ever encountered,” Dower explained.
“There is such depth across the country with the outstanding qualities these players possess and again, massive kudos to our Member Federation Programs who are continuing to raise the bar for female player development.
“Some players have taken the next step in their football journeys and made their first Australian national team, whilst others continue to impress at every opportunity.
“With a number of these players stepping into the A-League Women’s competition for the first time next month, it’s my hope that fans of football will get to see what my excitement is about with this Next Gen when they face off against each other in our own backyard week in, week out,” Dower concluded.
The CommBank Junior Matildas will open their group play at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center against the Philippines on Wednesday, 20 September (7.00pm AEST). They will then face the Group B hosts Vietnam on Friday, 22 September (10.00pm AEST) before rounding out the Round 2 qualifiers against Bangladesh on Sunday, 24 September (7.00pm AEST).
The top two nations at the completion of the round-robin matches will qualify for the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup Indonesia 2024™ to be held from 7 – 20 April 2024.
Players and staff will assemble this Saturday, 9 September for a pre-tournament camp prior to departing for Vietnam on 12 September.
Broadcast details will be provided closer to the commencement of the qualifiers while fans can stay up to date on the CommBank Junior Matildas via Facebook
