NZ Football Ferns to face Haiti, Morocco
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The Football Ferns have confirmed the first matches towards the 2027 FIFA World Cup tournament with a game against 49th ranked Haiti and 62nd ranked Morocco in Malaga, Spain, next month.
Both matches will be played at Nuevo Estadio El Maulí in Malaga, Spain.
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The fixtures will be the first time the Ford Football Ferns have faced either Haiti or Morocco at senior international level.
The games will provide a good test for the Ferns, with both sides having qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, where Morocco reached the round of 16, while Haiti put in several strong performances, including a narrow 1–0 loss against eventual runners-up England.
NZ Football Ferns head coach Michael Mayne said it was a good initial step for the team.
“It was great to get the job done at home last month and secure our place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, but we know that was just the first of many objectives for the team in this campaign.
“We need to put together a campaign that sees us arrive at the tournament in the best possible position to perform and progress from the group, so games like this, where we can test ourselves against teams from two different confederations, are exactly what we need.
“The end of 2025 saw us challenge ourselves against some highly ranked teams, which was important as we know we will have to find solutions to this in Brazil, but these last few windows have also provided us with some clear direction on what’s most important to target in matches for the remainder of the year as we continue progressing towards the tournament.
“I am feeling and seeing real progress as a group, both on and off the pitch, so far this cycle, and I’ve been really impressed with the way the players have implemented our new way of working and playing style, while driving standards among themselves.
“There is still a need for further improvement as we build towards the tournament, but Haiti and Morocco are teams that will challenge us in the ways we need at this point of the campaign.
“Now that we have Brazil 2027 in mind, it gives us a clear focus over the next year, so I’m looking forward to the wider squad pushing their case for selection for the tournament.”
Games schedule:
Saturday 6 June, kick off 4am NZT (Friday 5 June at 6pm local time), v Haiti.
Wednesday 10 June, kick off 4am NZT (Tuesday 9 June at 6pm local time) v Morocco.