The CommBank Matildas have begun arriving in Perth, Australia for the AFC Women's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024™ Asian Qualifiers Round 2.
Fresh off San Diego Wave claiming their first-ever NWSL Shield for the best regular season team, CommBank Matildas midfielder Emily van Egmond was available for the first media opportunity.
The midfielder was part of the matchday squad when the team last played in Perth, a friendly against Thailand back in 2018 that ended in a 5-0 victory to the hosts in front of 7,549 fans. Australia's opening game of the Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024™ Asian Qualifiers Round 2 will see them host IR Iran at the very same stadium, with a full house expected to pack out HBF Park to welcome back the side.
The three matchdays have seen 100,000 tickets for the side's return to Perth, building on the success of the side's best-ever finish at a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ earlier this year on home soil.
“If you would have asked us five years ago if we thought that was gonna be possible, I don’t think anyone would have said yes,” van Egmond explained.
“It’s amazing, the fact that young girls and boys can come out and see the women’s national team perform on home soil is great.”
“The World Cup was something special and once that was over, we all had to enjoy it in our ways, but then to get to come back together again and see the hype, it’s amazing, the Australian public getting behind this team."
“I hope it continues, it was huge for us throughout that tournament, so hopefully, it’s huge for us now with these qualifiers, it’s going to be truly important for us to have three strong performances.”
“We’re all just as excited as everyone else to be here at home and playing in front of the most amazing fans,” she said.
The Olympic qualifiers mark the side’s first games since the FIFA Women's World Cup, with the side looking to advance to the next stage of qualification in February 2024. The group winner will join the winners of Group B and Group C, as well as the best-ranked runners-up, in Round 3. Round 3 will take place on 24 and 28 February 2024 with the winners of the two home-and-away series progressing to Paris.
MATCH DAY 1
Australia v IR Iran
Date: Thurs, 26 October 2023
Kick-off: 7.00pm AWST / 10.00pm AEDT
Broadcast: 10 Bold (WA, QLD & NT), Channel 10 (NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS & SA), 10 Play and Paramount+
Venue: HBF Park, Perth, Australia