Football Australia today confirmed that Matildas' great Alicia Ferguson (Cap #101) will join the CommBank Matildas' official staff for the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ after being named as Australia's Head of Delegation.
Ferguson, who debuted for the senior national team as a 15-year-old, represented Australia at two FIFA Women's World Cups (1999 and 2007) and an Olympic Games (2000) in her 66 appearances for the CommBank Matildas spanning a decade. Her role will be centred on supporting the team and staff both on and off the field during their FIFA World Cup™ campaign.
Football Australia Chief Executive Officer James Johnson said that Ferguson had the right qualities for the role.
"Alicia has a wealth of knowledge and experience which she will bring to this important role, and we are delighted to have Alicia join the team," Johnson said.
"As a former Matilda, Alicia has a deep understanding of the team's history and a strong connection to the current squad and knows what is required to provide the platform for this team to be prepared for the FIFA Women's World Cup™. Alicia will be a great asset for our campaign and represent Football Australia with distinction in her official capacity as Head of Delegation."
Speaking about her appointment Ferguson said: "To be named as Australia's Head of Delegation for a home World Cup is an enormous honour and I'm grateful to be entrusted by James Johnson and Tony Gustavsson to support the team during such a historic tournament."
"My priority is to assist the team and staff to have the best runway possible to ensure an experience that they can look on with pride and excitement. I hope to share the knowledge gained from my involvement in previous major tournaments to allow the team to excel."
The CommBank Matildas will commence their FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ campaign against the Republic of Ireland at Stadium Australia on 20 July 2023 at 8.00 pm AEST.
COMMBANK MATILDAS | GROUP SCHEDULE | FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023™
Australia v Republic of Ireland
Date: 20 July 2023
Time: 8:00 pm AEST
Venue: Stadium Australia, Sydney/Gadigal, New South Wales
Australia v Nigeria
Date: 27 July 2023
Time: 8:00 pm AEST
Venue: Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane/Meanjin, Queensland
Canada v Australia
Date: 31 July 2023
Time: 8:00 pm AEST
Venue: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne/ Naarm, Victoria
