The Ford Football Ferns squad for next month’s matches against Chinese Taipei has been announced, with two players set to make their international debuts.
Adelaide United goalkeeper Claudia Jenkins, who has started every match this season in the A-League Women, and University of Denver goalkeeper Alina Santos have earned their first call-ups to the national team.
Also returning to the squad are C.S. Marítimo’s Jana Radosavljević and Lexington SC’s Grace Wisnewski, who were not part of the last tour.
The squad changes reflect the team’s ongoing efforts to expand player depth as preparations begin for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup cycle.
Full 22-Player Squad:
- Liz Anton (21 caps) – Canberra United, Australia
- Hannah Blake (7 caps) – Durham FC, England
- Kelli Brown (2 caps) – Perth Glory, Australia
- Claudia Bunge (33 caps) – Melbourne Victory, Australia
- Milly Clegg (13 caps) – Halifax Tides FC, Canada
- Manaia Elliott (1 cap) – Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
- Victoria Esson (26 caps) – Rangers FC, Scotland
- Michaela Foster (24 caps) – Durham FC, England
- Maya Hahn (2 caps) – FFC Turbine Potsdam, Germany
- Jacqui Hand (33 caps) – Sheffield United, England
- Claudia Jenkins (Debut) – Adelaide United, Australia
- Katie Kitching (16 caps) – Sunderland AFC, England
- Annalie Longo (138 caps) – Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
- Meikayla Moore (69 caps) – Calgary Wild FC, Canada
- Ruby Nathan (5 caps) – Canberra United, Australia
- Grace Neville (12 caps) – London City Lionesses, England
- Emma Pijnenburg (1 cap) – Feyenoord Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Indiah-Paige Riley (29 caps) – Crystal Palace, England
- Jana Radosavljević (3 caps) – C.S. Marítimo, Portugal
- Alina Santos (Debut) – University of Denver, USA
- Kate Taylor (23 caps) – Dijon FCO, France
- Grace Wisnewski (3 caps) – Lexington SC, USA
Mackenzie Barry, Geo Candy, Brianna Edwards, Macey Fraser, and Grace Jale, who were part of the squad in the recent matches against Costa Rica, were not selected for this tour due to injuries, workload management, and the opportunity to assess other players.
Coach’s Vision for the Tour
Interim head coach Michael Mayne is focused on building on the progress made during the unbeaten tour of Costa Rica last month.
“I was pleased with how we implemented a new playing model and introduced new tactical approaches,” said Mayne. “This tour will allow us to refine those details further. With a closed-door training match before the official international, we have a great chance to test new ideas.”
Mayne emphasized the importance of squad depth as the team looks ahead to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“Our main goal is to strengthen competition within the squad so that if we qualify, we are in the best possible position to succeed,” he said. “But we also want to perform well and aim for positive results in these matches.”
He added that maintaining consistency in selection was important, given the short time between international windows.
“I’m excited to continue building a strong performance culture while also reintroducing some players and welcoming new ones into the team.”
Match Schedule
The Football Ferns will take on Chinese Taipei’s “Blue Magpies” in an official international match on Tuesday, April 8, at Kaohsiung Nanzih Football Stadium. Kickoff is set for 10:30 PM NZT (6:30 PM local time).
Three days earlier, on Saturday, April 5, the teams will also play a closed-door training match.
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