The Football Ferns face an experienced and in-form Iceland team in their international friendly to be played in the early hours of Saturday morning (NZT).
Iceland, who have moved up the FIFA women’s rankings from 19th to 14th after their latest games, have two players with more than 100 caps in West Ham United’s Dagný Brynjarsdóttir (111 caps) and Bayern Munich’s Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir (110 caps).
Attacking midfielder Brynjarsdóttir, who has scored 37 goals for Iceland, has been struggling for form in the English Women’s Super League but scored the winner the last time her side played the Ferns.
Main photo: Dagný Brynjarsdóttir (31) captains her West Ham club and country.
Gunnhildur Yrsa Jónsdóttir, who plays for Icelandic club Stjarnan, is expected to collect her 100th cap against New Zealand.
Nicknamed “Stelpurnar okkar (Our Girls)”, the Iceland team are unbeaten in 2023 after a 2-0 win against Scotland, a 0-0 draw with Wales and a 5-0 crushing of the Phillipines, all at the Pinatar Cup in February.
Those games were played in Spain.
Four days after they play New Zealand, Iceland are scheduled to meet Switzerland in a friendly.
Past meeting
New Zealand drew 1-1 with Iceland at the Algarve Cup in Portugal, but lost 6-5 on penalties, on March 9, 2016. Amber Hearn scored for the Ferns.
On February 18, 2022, Iceland beat New Zealand 1-0 at the SheBelieves Cup tournament in the United States.
The goalscorer was Brynjarsdóttir.
From the Ferns camp
Head coach Jitka Klimková said that with one training session to go, the Ferns had a full squad fit and available for the game against Iceland.
Speaking in a video conference with reporters, she said the squad had trained well ahead of the match.
Here’s the full 15-minute briefing by Klimková and goalkeeper Vic Esson:
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How to watch
The match between New Zealand and Iceland will be broadcast live on Sky Sport 2, with coverage starting at 12.50am (NZT).
New Zealand squad
Mackenzie Barry (6 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Liz Anton (19 caps) Perth Glory, Australia
Katie Bowen (90 caps) Melbourne City, Australia
Claudia Bunge (18 caps) Melbourne Victory, Australia
Olivia Chance (42 caps) Celtic, Scotland
Milly Clegg* (0 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Daisy Cleverley (30 caps) HB Køge, Denmark
Victoria Esson (12 caps) Rangers, Scotland
Michaela Foster (2 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Jacqui Hand (10 caps) Aland United, Finland
Betsy Hassett (141 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Grace Jale (15 caps) Canberra United, Australia
Anna Leat (9 caps) Aston Villa, England
Meikayla Moore (63 caps) Glasgow City, Scotland
Erin Nayler (84 caps) IFK Norrköping, Sweden
Grace Neville (3 caps) London City Lionesses, England
Gabi Rennie (23 caps) Arizona State University, USA
Ali Riley (150 caps) Angel City, USA
Indiah-Paige Riley (7 caps) Brisbane Roar, Australia
Paige Satchell (40 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Malia Steinmetz (16 caps) Western Sydney Wanderers, Australia
Rebekah Stott (87 caps) Brighton & Hove Albion, England
Kate Taylor (8 caps) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Hannah Wilkinson (111 caps) Melbourne City, Australia
*Debut Ford Football Ferns call up
Iceland squad
Cecilia Rán Rúnarsdóttir (9 caps) Bayern Munich, Germany
Telma Ívarsdóttir (2 caps) Breiðablik, Iceland
Íris Dögg Gunnarsdóttir (0 caps) Þróttur R., Iceland
Ásta Eir Árnadóttir (11 caps) Breiðablik, Iceland
Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir (110 caps) Bayern Munich, Germany
Ingibjörg Sigurðardóttir (51 caps) Valerenga, Norway
Guðrún Arnardóttir (23 caps) FC Rosengard, Sweden
Arna Sif Ásgrímsdóttir (14 caps) Valur, Iceland
Áslaug Munda Gunnlaugsdóttir (14 caps) Breiðablik, Iceland
Sandra María Jessen (31 caps) Þór/KA, Iceland
Dagný Brynjarsdóttir (111 caps) West Ham, England
Hildur Antonsdóttir (2 caps) Fortuna Sittard, Netherlands
Gunnhildur Yrsa Jónsdóttir (99 caps) Stjarnan, Iceland
Alexandra Jóhannsdóttir (31 caps) ACF Fiorentina, Italy
Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir (25 caps) Bayern Munich, Germany
Selma Sól Magnúsdóttir(24 caps) Rosenborg, Norway
Amanda Jacobsen Andradóttir (12 caps) Kristanstads DFF, Sweden
Agla María Albertsdóttir (53 caps) Breiðablik, Iceland
Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir (28 caps) Wolfsburg, Germany
Svava Rós Guðmundsdóttir 42 caps) NJ/NY Gotham, United States
Hlín Eiríksdóttir (22 caps) Kristianstads DFF, Sweden
Ólöf Sigríður Kristinsdóttir (2 caps) Þróttur R., Iceland
Diljá Yr Zomers (3 caps) IFK Norrköping, Sweden
Fixtures
Game to be played on Saturday April 8, 1am (NZT)
New Zealand v Iceland
Game to be played on Wednesday April 12, 1am (NZT)
New Zealand v Nigeria
Both games will be played at Mardan Sports Complex, Antalya, Turkey.
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