23 A-Leagues stars named in exciting Young Matildas squad for China series

Football Australia have released a 24-player Young Matildas squad brimming with Liberty A-League talent ahead of a two-game international series in China in early December.

Australia’s U20 women’s national team will link up in Xiamen, China later this month ahead of a pair of fixtures on December 3 and 6 as preparations escalate for the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup in Uzebkistan next year. 

CommBank Young Matildas head coach Leah Blayney has selected 23 A-Leagues up-and-comers, in addition to Tottenham Hotspur forward Milly Boughton who takes the squad to 24.

Stars of the squad include Perth Glory’s Georgia Cassidy, the 18-year-old who won the Liberty A-League Young Footballer of the Year nomination for October after a stellar start to her first season in the league. 

Melbourne City’s Daniela Galic is another headline act, along with Newcastle Jets duo Claudia Cicco and Lara Gooch, Sydney FC’s Indiana and Jynaya Dos Santos and Shay Hollman, Western United’s Kahli Johnson, Naomi Chinnama of Melbourne City as well as Jessika Nash, Ella O’Grady and Alana Murphy of Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers defender Alexia Apostolakis.

This is a squad laden with top-end young Australian talent with many of the players selected starring through the opening rounds of the 2023-24 Liberty A-League season – a factor head coach Blayney says came strongly into her thinking at the selection table.

“It has been an exciting start to the 2023-24 Liberty A-League season, and we have already witnessed an impressive level of technical skill, tactical awareness, physicality, and commitment to continuous development from youth players all across the league,” Blayney said. 

“This squad has been selected to reflect and recognise those showings and ongoing performances within our recent national team environments.

“For a number of the players, it has been a little while since they have been with the national team group, so getting up to speed with the primary goal. For those who were a part of the qualification campaign, it is yet another chance to continue laying the platform for 2024.”

The Young Matildas will play China in Xiamen on December 3 and 6 at Auxillary Field of Ziamen Egret Stadium.

The two-game series is crucial for their preparation ahead of the U20 Asian Cup, with a top-four finish needed to qualify for the U20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia in 2024.

Kick-off times and streaming details to be provided in the coming days.

MATCH DETAILS

China v CommBank Young Matildas
Date: Sunday, 3 December 2023
Kick-off: TBC
Venue: Auxiliary Field of Xiamen Egret Stadium, Xiamen

China v CommBank Young Matildas
Date: Wednesday, 6 December 2023
Kick-off: TBC
Venue: Auxiliary Field of Xiamen Egret Stadium, Xiamen

FULL SQUAD

Supplied by Football Australia