Football Ferns captain Al Riley goes into her 150th game for her country on Friday night with a determination for her team to show a winning mentality.
New Zealand are trying to break a five-match winless streak while their opponents, Portugal, are chasing their sixth win in a row.
“We are not playing not to lose, we are playing to win,” Riley told 1News.
“That comes with confidence and I’m going to expect the leaders on this team to really show we are going for it.”
The Ferns are treating their game against Portugal and two matches against Argentina as a simulation of conditions they will face in their FIFA Women’s World Cup group later in the year, when they undertake three games in a week.
“We want to win, we want three points, we want to get out of the group – that’s the mentality and it starts now,” Riley says.
1News story
Meanwhile, Ferns coach Jitka Klimková told Newshub:
“We go game by game,
“We will really do everything we can to beat Portugal and get the first three points in this tournament.”
Newshub story
READ MORE: Stott out, Foster in — more changes to the Ferns squad to play Portugal >>>>
Fixture
Game to be played on Friday February 17, 2023
New Zealand v Portugal
FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton, 7pm (NZT)
How to watch
Prime (free-to-air), Sky Sport 2, Sky Sport 7.
More football stories
