Portanova has called up 21 players for the FIFA window in New Zealand

Argentina Women’s Football Team coach German Portanova today presented the invite list for the first FIFA date of the World Cup year in New Zealand, one of the World Cup venues alongside Australia.

The Albiceleste were selected in the window associated with the February 17-23 play-offs in the New Zealand cities of Auckland and Hamilton, where Argentina will advance to the group stage of the World Cup in July. There they will compete against Sweden, Italy and South Africa.

The national team, which qualified for the World Cup by finishing third in the 2022 Copa America, will play against Chile on Friday, February 17 at 4:30pm (Argentina time) at the North Harbor Stadium in Auckland. On Monday 20th at 4pm, Argentina will face New Zealand at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton. Additionally, on Thursday 23, again from 4, New Zealand and Argentina will meet at the North Harbor Stadium in Auckland.

Portanova’s roster includes 21 soccer players: Vanina Correa, Laurina Oliveros, Julieta Cruz, Miriam Mayorca, Gabriela Chavez, Erica Lonigro, Maricel Pereira, Diana Falfan, Romina Nunez, Estefania Panini, Sofina Frana Framaglia, Sofina Gramaglia. Bonsecundo, Altana Cometti, Lorena Benitez, Yamila Rodriguez, Mariela Szymanowski, Eliana Stabile and Vanessa Santana.

Chile is one of the most faced teams in women’s team history. In total, they played 18 times, with eight wins for Argentina, four draws and six for Chile. La Roja will have an important task after the friendly with the Albiceleste: after finishing fifth in the Copa America, they must aim to qualify for the World Cup in the play-offs in New Zealand.

For its part, hosts New Zealand – who will join Norway, the Philippines and Switzerland in Group A – have climbed seven places ahead of Argentina to 22nd in the FIFA rankings.

Football Ferns played against the selected Albiceleste four times. In March 2000, New Zealand traveled to Buenos Aires to play two friendlies: Argentina won the first 2–1 and drew the second 1–1. They met again in the 2008 Friendly Cup in Suwon, South Korea, where the Ferns won 1–0. The most recent precedent is from March 2019: at the Nations Cup in Australia, where New Zealand won 2-0.

(Thelam)