By Max Fletcher
Football Ferns’ acting head coach Michael Mayne says he’s focused on the games ahead rather than the disruption leading up to the Olympic Games.
An assistant coach in the Ferns camp since 2022, Mayne was suddenly elevated for the Games when head coach Jitka Klimková elected to step down from the Olympic campaign.
“It’s a tricky situation but it’s the Kiwi way to roll up your sleeves and do what the job needs you to do,’’ he told a media briefing ahead of New Zealand’s opening game, against Tokyo gold medalists Canada.
‘’My job is to lead the players and staff through this tournament as best I can,’’ he said.
Mayne said he was familiar with some of Canada’s personnel, particularly their head coach, Bev Priestman.
He said when he was starting out on his own coaching journey many years ago, Priestman was the head of women’s football development for NZ Football.
Mayne said she mentored him for more than six months as he undertook his coaching development.
Meanwhile, midfielder Malia Steinmetz said she was looking forward to her first Olympic Games and was “buzzing” for matchday 1, especially as she was not in the squad for the Tokyo Olympics.
“Personally, it is very special, and I’m really excited,” she said.
Steinmetz said she found it hard to believe the FIFA Women’s World Cup was only a year ago.
“Having that under the belt of being able to perform the way we did, obviously, that big first opening game against Norway is a confidence booster. I think that’s something we can take and use when we lead into Canada.”
Asked whether he had a full squad available for the tournament opener, Mayne said: “There are a couple of niggles in the camp.”
But he declined to name the players or positions impacted because he did not want to provide clues for his opponents.
Main photo: Michael Mayne and Malia Steinmetz.
Olympic squads
New Zealand
Player/caps/club
Mackenzie Barry* (16 caps) Wellington Phoenix FC, New Zealand
CJ Bott (46 caps) Leicester City, England
Katie Bowen (109 caps) Inter Milan, Italy
Milly Clegg* (8 caps) Racing Louisville, United States
Victoria Esson (23 caps) Rangers FC, Scotland
Michaela Foster (18 caps) Auckland United, New Zealand
Macey Fraser* (5 caps) Utah Royals, United States
Ally Green (14 caps) AGF, Denmark
Jacqui Hand (27 caps) Lewes FC, England
Grace Jale* (31 caps) Unattached
Katie Kitching* (10 caps) Sunderland, England
Anna Leat (18 caps) Aston Villa, England
Meikayla Moore (65 caps) Glasgow City, Scotland
Gabi Rennie (37 caps) Åland United, Finland
Indiah-Paige Riley* (24 caps) PSV Vrouwen, Netherlands
Malia Steinmetz* (31 caps) FC Nordsjælland, Denmark
Rebekah Stott (102 caps) Melbourne City FC, Australia
Kate Taylor* (16 caps) Unattached
*Denotes first involvement in an Olympic campaign
Alternates
Claudia Bunge (31 caps) HB Køge, Denmark
Annalie Longo (133 caps) Cashmere Technical, New Zealand
Grace Neville (10 caps) London City, England
Murphy Sheaff (0 caps) Kansas State University, United States
Canada
Goalkeepers
Sabrina D’Angelo (Welland, Ontario)
Kailen Sheridan (Whitby, Ontario)
Defenders
Kadeisha Buchanan (Brampton, Ontario)
Gabrielle Carle (Lévis, Quebec)
Vanessa Gilles (Ottawa, Ontario)
Ashley Lawrence (Caledon East, Ontario)
Jayde Riviere (Markham, Ontario)
Jade Rose (Markham, Ontario)
Midfielders
Simi Awujo (Atlanta, Georgia, United States)
Jessie Fleming (London, Ontario)
Julia Grosso (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Quinn (Toronto, Ontario)
Forwards
Janine Beckie (Highlands Ranch, Colorado, United States)
Jordyn Huitema (Chilliwack, British Columbia)
Cloé Lacasse (Sudbury, Ontario)
Adriana Leon (King City, Ontario)
Nichelle Prince (Ajax, Ontario)
Evelyne Viens (L’Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec)
Alternates
Lysianne Proulx (Boucherville, Quebec)
Shelina Zadorsky (London, Ontario)
Deanne Rose (Alliston, Ontario)
Desiree Scott (Kansas City, Missouri, United States)
Olympics tournament
New Zealand will play Canada, France and Colombia in their group games at the tournament.
The groups
# indicates current FIFA world ranking
Group A
- France #2
- Colombia #22
- Canada #8
- New Zealand #28
Group B
- United States #5
- Zambia #64
- Germany #4
- Australia #12
Group C
- Spain #1
- Japan #7
- Nigeria #36
- Brazil #9
Olympic Games fixtures
Games to be played on Friday July 26, 2024 (NZT)
Canada v New Zealand
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne, 3am (NZT)
France v Colombia
Stade de Lyon, Décines-Charpieu, 7am (NZT)
Games to be played on Monday July 29, 2024 (NZT)
New Zealand v Colombia
Stade de Lyon, Décines-Charpieu, 3am (NZT)
France v Canada
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Etienne, 7am (NZT)
Games to be played on Thursday August 1, 2024 (NZT)
New Zealand v France
Stade de Lyon, Décines-Charpieu, 7am (NZT)
Colombia v Canada
Stade de Nice, Nice, 7am (NZT)
Max Fletcher
Waikato-based Max Fletcher is a writer for Friends of Football. He’s also a qualified football and futsal referee.
This story was first published on July 25, 2024.
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