New Zealand eager to take on big nations, says U-20 skipper Manaia Elliott

Often footballers start planning for their post-playing career from quite a young age; some doing their coaching badges, earning university degrees, starting up their own business or getting skilled up in a trade.

It’s fair to say New Zealand’s Manaia Elliott won’t be taking up a paintbrush and easel when that day comes.

“The other day in camp we had a drawing competition where we were in pairs and had to do portraits of each other. Firstly, we started with not taking the pen off the paper, then we had to use our left hand, then our feet and after that just a normal one.

“I did alright with my toes but I don’t think I have much of a future there, although there were some artists in the group for sure!”

The group the 19-year-old refers to are the New Zealand U-20 Women’s World Cup squad, currently in Colombia and preparing to face an almighty challenge first-up in the form of Japan, champions at France 2018 and runners-up at Costa Rica 2022.

New Zealand have been ever-presents at the tournament, qualifying for eight of the 11 editions, with the high-water mark being a quarter-final finish at Canada 2014.

Hailing from a nation of barely five million means though that New Zealand have greater challenges than many others in Colombia but, as Elliott tells FIFA, that won’t hold them back from doing as best as they can at the South American showpiece.

“We’d love to make it out of the group stage; we have a tough group and we’re prepared for every opponent but we’d definitely love to get out of the group stage.

“It’s important not to forget that New Zealand is such a small nation and that so many other teams like us in Oceania have started this journey so much later than teams in Europe and elsewhere.

“You can really see the progression though of the women’s national team and we’ve had results at the past at the Under-17 Women’s World Cup [finishing third at Uruguay 2018], so we’re really looking forward to playing Japan in the first match.

“We don’t underestimate how good they are but we are definitely preparing ourselves and think we can put up a good challenge.”

With 16 of the current 21-strong squad featuring at the previous edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup – where current U-20s coach Leon Birnie was also in charge – Elliott feels squad cohesion and experience is a real factor in why New Zealand are not a nation to be underestimated at Colombia 2024.

“It’s quite a big thing that we have so many of the girls who have been with the team since Under-17 level; as opposed to other countries we don’t have as much time together but we had some really important time playing Australia in July [drawing two friendly matches with the Young Matildas] and I can really see the progression in the team.

“The excitement is definitely there and it’s been so cool to see the girls make their own pathways. There’s a huge buzz around how much we’ve developed over the last two years since the Under-17 World Cup and to see everyone performing at such a high level means we’re all really excited [for how we will do in Colombia].”

Those pathways have seen the squad rise from a variety of backgrounds to the very top level of the game in New Zealand.

While the journey that Elliott took as a young girl is far from unusual in growing up playing on boys’ teams, the fact that she only stopped playing with the boys in 2022, when she joined the Wellington Phoenix academy, is certainly far from the norm.

“I started playing from a young age but when my family moved to Cambridge, I trialled for the girls’ team and they decided to put me with the boys and I ended up playing with them ever since. I’ve always enjoyed playing with boys and they’ve always pushed me a lot more than the girls and think that’s made me able to stand out when I then go and play with girls.

“Physically, tactically and mentally there’s a lot of challenges playing with boys; I know everyone will say that when you’re young a big part of staying in the sport is the social aspect so I still think it’s important that girls get that through socialising in a girls team. However to be pushed and excel, then playing with male counterparts is definitely a big part of that.”

Acknowledgement

We thank FIFA.com for providing this story.

About the New Zealand squad

The New Zealand squad features 13 players based in Aotearoa New Zealand and eight who play internationally in Australia, England, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States.

Two players selected, Milly Clegg and Ruby Nathan, have been capped for the Ford Football Ferns, as well as three players, Aimee Danieli, Manaia Elliott, and Emma Pijnenburg, who have been called up to senior national team squads.

Sixteen of Birnie’s side for the 2024 tournament were part of his FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup team in 2022.

New Zealand squad

Amber Bennett (Cashmere Technical, Aotearoa New Zealand)
Zoe Benson (Eastern Suburbs, Aotearoa New Zealand)
Kiara Bercelli (U.C. Sampdoria, Italy)
Daisy Brazendale (Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand)
Milly Clegg (Racing Louisville, United States)
Lara Colpi (BSC Young Boys, Switzerland)
Aimee Danieli (Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand)
Manaia Elliott (Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand)
Helena Errington (Unattached)
Ella Findlay (Western Springs, Aotearoa New Zealand)
Marie Green (Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand)
Suya Haering (FFC Turbine Potsdam, Germany)
Olivia Ingham (Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand)
Maddie Iro (High Point University, United States)
Ella McCann (Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand)
Zoe McMeeken (Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand)
Ella McMillan (Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand)
Ruby Nathan (Canberra United, Australia)
Olivia Page (Sheffield United, England)
Emma Pijnenburg (Feyenoord Rotterdam, Netherlands)
Rebekah Trewhitt (Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand)

Tournament draw

Fixtures

Game to be played on Tuesday September 3, 2024 (NZT)

Japan v New Zealand
El Techo Stadium, Bogotá, 1pm (NZT)

Game to be played on Friday September 6, 2024 (NZT)

Austria v New Zealand
El Techo Stadium, Bogotá, 1pm (NZT)

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

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

Full schedule

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

READ MORE: Mascot unveiled as anticipation builds for FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup >>>>

Past winners

2002: USA
2004: Germany
2006: DPR Korea
2008: USA
2010: Germany
2012: USA
2014: Germany
2016: DPR Korea
2018: Japan
2022: Spain

This story was first published on August 20, 2024.

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