Adelaide United goalkeeper Claudia Jenkins has earned a spot in the Ford Football Ferns squad for the second time. The 27-year-old will join the national team for a two-match series against Venezuela in Spain next month.
Jenkins has continued to impress at the club level, earning recognition with this call-up to the national team setup.
Interim head coach Michael Mayne made five changes to the squad that played in April’s Taiwan tour. Alongside Jenkins, other notable returnees include Ally Green (Calgary Wild), Deven Jackson (Newcastle Jets), Grace Jale (Wellington Phoenix), and Rebekah Stott (Melbourne City). Mayne is rotating players to evaluate the team’s depth ahead of the next FIFA Women’s World Cup cycle.
Midfielder Betsy Hassett, with 157 caps, is also back in the squad after taking a break to give birth to her son in 2024. Hassett will travel to Spain with her family.
The team aims to build on a strong start to 2024, which included a win and a draw against Costa Rica. The April window had been cancelled due to pitch safety concerns in Taiwan.
Several players, including CJ Bott, Katie Bowen, Macey Fraser, Anna Leat, Malia Steinmetz, Jana Radosavljević, Indiah-Paige Riley, and Ali Riley, were unavailable due to injury or return-to-play issues.
Mayne expressed excitement about the squad, saying:
“It’s another exciting squad to name, with good consistency and lots of motivation to reassemble in Spain. We are looking forward to getting back to work, especially after the last international window was cancelled due to factors outside our control.
“The priority at this stage is building competition in the squad for the next World Cup cycle. It’s also fantastic to have Betsy back after her return to football following the birth of her son, and we look forward to having her family join us in camp.”
The matches against Venezuela will serve as valuable challenges as the team continues to develop its new playing model.
The Ford Football Ferns will face Venezuela on:
- Sunday, 1 June 2025 at 4:00 AM NZT (31 May at 6:00 PM local) – Marbella Football Center, San Pedro de Alcántara, Spain
- Wednesday, 4 June 2025 at 4:00 AM NZT (3 June at 6:00 PM local) – Estadio Nuevo Mirador, Algeciras, Spain
Both matches will be available live and free on FIFA Plus.
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