Two new players called up for Football Ferns
- editor59343
- 3 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Two new players have been confirmed in the 23-player Football Ferns squad by Michael Mayne for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 qualifying matches in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Fresh from scoring Wellington Phoenix’s first hattrick in the A-League Women, Pia Vlok is called up to the Ferns after captaining New Zealand at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025.
After a breakout season with Newcastle Jets, where she has scored three goals in eight games from midfield, Charlotte Lancaster is also named in her debut squad.
Goalkeeper Maddie Iro is also selected as part of the initial squad for the first time after joining as an injury replacement for October’s games in Mexico and the USA.
Mayne is looking forward to getting a new cycle underway with the team ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027:
“It is great to get this group together ahead of an important year and start the journey to achieve the first of our goals, qualifying for Brazil in 2027.
“This tour presents some different challenges, especially with the global nature of our squad and players both in the middle of competitive seasons or in preseason and looking to establish themselves, so we have had to account for a number of factors when selecting the final 23.
“I am confident we have the right balance of those who were available for selection and a group that are able to get straight to work when we arrive in Honiara to secure our qualification for the semi and finals back in New Zealand.
“International football is the ultimate challenge and we pride ourselves on tracking performances, keeping competition high in every position, promoting readiness to come in and contribute, and really making sure players can thrive mentally and physically at this level with the high demands to perform as a cohesive team.
“What has been exciting to see, and aligns with our strategy to build capability, is seeing players performing well and consistently in their leagues, so rewarding Pia and Charlotte, who have earned call ups after making a big impact in the A-League Women, is great to be able to do.”
The New Zealand team will begin their FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 qualifying journey, as part of Group A at the Oceania Qualifiers, on 27 February (KO 3pm NZT) against Samoa, before facing hosts Solomon Islands on 2 March (KO 7pm NZT), and American Samoa on 5 March (KO 3pm NZT).
All games will be played at the National Stadium in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
The top two sides in Group A will then take on the top two from Group B, played in Fiji, in the Semi-Final and Final of the Oceania Qualifiers, played in Aotearoa New Zealand, to secure a place in Brazil for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027.
The two semifinals will be played in Kirikiriroa Hamilton on Sunday 12 April, kicking off at 12pm and 4pm, at FMG Stadium Waikato.
The final will be played in Auckland on Wednesday 15 April, kicking off at 7pm, at North Harbour Stadium.
Full New Zealand squad:
Liz Anton, Canberra United, Australia
Mackenzie Barry, Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Hannah Blake, Durham FC, England
Kelli Brown, Newcastle Jets, Australia
Claudia Bunge, Melbourne Victory, Australia
Milly Clegg, Vittsjö GIK, Sweden
Manaia Elliott, Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Victoria Esson, Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Michaela Foster, Durham FC, England
Maya Hahn, FC Viktoria Berlin, Germany
Maddie Iro, Hills United, Australia
Deven Jackson, Melbourne City, Australia
Grace Jale, Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Katie Kitching, Sunderland AFC, England
Charlotte Lancaster (debut) Newcastle Jets, Australia
Meikayla Moore, Calgary Wild, Canada
Emma Pijnenburg, Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Indiah-Paige Riley, Crystal Palace, England
Alina Santos, University of Denver, USA
Rebekah Stott, Melbourne City, Australia
Pia Vlok (debut) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Lara Wall, Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Grace Wisnewski, Nordsjælland, Denmark