Nash, Murphy, O'Grady Named In Young Matildas Squad

Jessika Nash, Alana Murphy and Ella O’Grady have all been selected for the Young Matildas upcoming international friendly series against China.

Preparations for the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2024™ will step up for the CommBank Young Matildas when they face fellow qualifiers, China, in a two-match international series later this month.

Australia’s U-20 Women’s National Team will play their AFC U-20 counterparts in Xiamen, China on Sunday 3 December and Wednesday 6 December 2023 at the Auxiliary Field of Xiamen Egret Stadium.

Victory young guns Jessika Nash, Alana Murphy and Ella O’Grady have all been called up to the Young Matildas squad as a representation of their stellar starts to 2023/24.

Opponents China qualified for the eight-nation AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup after finishing Group B winners in Round 2 and is a six-time FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup participant.

The fixtures form a crucial part of Head Coach Leah Blayney’s groundwork for the side as they aim to qualify for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024™ with a top-four finish at the continental championships.

Blayney has selected a 24-player squad for the tour laden with A-League Women’s talent as a reward for strong performances in the opening five rounds of the 2023/2024 season.

“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,” Blayney said.

“This squad has been selected to reflect and recognise those showings and ongoing performances within our recent national team environments.

“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.