Three young Greek-Australians have been selected in the 24-player squad for two matches with China aimed as preparation for next year’s AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup in Uzbekistan.
The three talents included in Australia’s U-20 Women’s team are Alexia Apostolakis from Western Sydney Wanderers, Zoe Karipidis from Newcastle Jets and Peta Trimis from Central Coast Mariners.
The two games will take place in Xiamen, China on Sunday, December 3 and Wednesday, December 6 at the Auxiliary Field of Xiamen Egret Stadium.
Football Australia CEO, James Johnson, said the tour is a significant opportunity for the Young Matildas to continue their buildup leading into the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup next year.
“It builds upon our concerted approach to provide high quality match minutes for the next generation of footballers and, as former AFC U-20 champions, China is one such nation that will provide invaluable international experience for the players,” Mr Johnson said.
“This is only possible with strong strategic partnerships, and we would like to thank the National Foundation for Australia China Relations and the Chinese Football Association for their collaboration,” Johnson concluded.
National Foundation for Australia-China Relations CEO Peter Cai said that they are proud to support the next generation of Matildas heading to China, particularly on the back of the Prime Minister’s recent visit.
“This tour will help build on longstanding links between Australia and China and showcase Australia’s excellence in women’s sport,” Mr Cai said.
China is a tough opponent that will provide excellent practice for the Young Matildas, having also qualified for the tournament and featured six times in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup as well.
Head Coach Leah Blayney is hoping to lead Australia’s U-20 Women’s outfit to a top four finish at next year’s event, which would see them qualify for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia (also in 2024).
Ms Blayney’s selected 24-player squad is dominated by representatives from the A-League Women’s competition, including the three Greek-Australian talents.
“It has been an exciting start to the 2023/24 A-League Women’s season, and we have already witnessed an impressive level of technical skill, tactical awareness, physicality, and commitment to continuous development from youth players all across the league,” the manager said.
“For a number of the players, it has been a little while since they have been with the national team group, so getting up to speed with the primary goal. For those who were a part of the qualification campaign, it is yet another chance to continue laying the platform for 2024,” Blayney concluded.
Kick off times and streaming details for the two December games are set to be provided in the coming days.
