Coach Leon Birnie departs FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup for health reasons

New Zealand head coach Leon Birnie has had to leave the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia due to health reasons, NZ Football says.

Assistant coach Maia Vink will assume the role of head coach for the rest of the tournament, with the team set to play Ghana in their final Group E game on Monday September 9 [NZT].

The current tournament is the fourth FIFA tournament in which Birnie has been head coach of a women’s age group side, most notably including the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2018 where he led his team to a third-place finish, Aotearoa New Zealand’s best-ever result.

Fixtures

Games to be played on Monday September 9, 2024 (NZT)

Group E

New Zealand v Ghana
Pascual Guerrero Stadium, Cali, 11am (NZT)

Austria v Japan
Estadio Metropolitano de Techo, Bogatá, 11am (NZT)

Full schedule

The full tournament schedule can be downloaded here >>>>

This story was first published on September 8, 2024.

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