Page 20 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.2 2021-22

Wales at full strength for openers

Gemma Grainger has announced a 26-player squad for Wales’ opening matches of the
2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign against Kazakhstan and Estonia.
Grainger has a full strength squad available, including Ceri Holland who missed
out on the 1-0 defeat at home to Scotland in June. There is a first call up for 22-year-old
Hannah Cain. The Leicester City midfielder was last involved in the Wales set up in 2014
when she scored twice against Northern Ireland for the Under-17s. Meanwhile, Maria
Francis-Jones and Bethan Roberts have been selected in the Under-19 squad that will
face Northern Ireland in a double header at Colliers Park during the international
window.
Wales begin the campaign at home to Kazakhstan at Parc y Scarlets on Friday
17th September (7.15pm), before travelling to Parnu to face Estonia on Tuesday 21
September. The match against Kazakhstan will be the side’s first match in front of the
Red Wall since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wales last faced Kazakhstan in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign,
recording 1-0 wins both home and away thanks to goals from Jessica Fishlock and Hayley
Ladd. Grainger’s side will also be familiar with Estonia, having beaten them 2-0 at the
Racecourse in March 2020 thanks to goals from Megan Wynne and Nadia Lawrence.
Tickets for the Kazakhstan match start at only £2 (group bookings) and £4
(individual bookings) for kids, available at faw.cymru/tickets.
WALES SQUAD v. KAZAKHSTAN & ESTONIA
NAME CLUB CAPS GOALS
Laura O'SULLIVAN Cardiff City Ladies 43 0
Olivia CLARK Coventry Utd 0 0
Poppy SOPER Plymouth Argyle 1 0
Rhiannon ROBERTS Liverpool 36 1
Gemma EVANS Reading FC Women 31 0
Hayley LADD Manchester Utd 63 3
Josie GREEN Tottenham Hotspur 20 0
Sophie INGLE Chelsea 106 2
Lily WOODHAM Reading FC Women 4 1
Ffion MORGAN Bristol City 11 0
Angharad JAMES North Carolina Courage 86 2
Jessica FISHLOCK OL Reign 123 31
Carrie JONES Manchester Utd 2 0
Anna FILBEY Charlton Athletic 3 0
Georgia WALTERS Liverpool 4 0
Rachel ROWE Reading FC Women 40 2
Natasha HARDING Reading FC Women 89 19
Charlie ESTCOURT Coventry Utd 30 3
Elise HUGHES Charlton Athletic 13 0
Hannah CAIN Leicester City 0 0
Megan WYNNE Charlton Athletic 14 1
Helen WARD Watford 93 43
Kayleigh GREEN Brighton & Hove Albion 52 11
Esther MORGAN Tottenham Hotspur 2 0
Ceri HOLLAND Liverpool 2 0
Chloe WILLIAMS Manchester Utd 0 0
Issue no. 2 - 9 September 2021 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk