<\/p>\n
New Zealand football legend Maia Jackman believes the Women’s World Cup will come too soon for the Football Ferns, who suffered another loss overnight.<\/p>\n
Thrashed 3-0 by Nigeria in a warm-up clash on Wednesday morning (AEST), alarm bells are sounding for New Zealand ahead of their home tournament.<\/p>\n
As Australia were chalking up a 2-0 defeat of European champions England, their tournament co-hosts were soundly beaten by the world No.42-ranked side in Turkey.<\/p>\n
Onome Ebi, Onyi Echegini and Desire Oparanozie scored for the Super Falcons, who will face off against the Matildas in Brisbane in their World Cup group.<\/p>\n
Coach Jitka Klimkova labelled her side’s effort “disappointing” at both ends of the ground.<\/p>\n
“We were not gritty enough in our defensive third,” she said.<\/p>\n
Bizarrely, NZ Football president Johanna Wood told a crowd at Eden Park on Tuesday as part of 100-day countdown celebrations the Football Ferns had in fact won 1-0.<\/p>\n
The result is another stinker for Klimkova’s side, winless in their last 10 outings, and with just victories in 30 matches since the last World Cup.<\/p>\n
“Are they where they need to be? Possibly not at the moment. Is this their time? Possibly not at the moment,” Jackman, who played for the Football Ferns for two decades including at the 2007 World Cup, told broadcaster TVNZ.<\/p>\n
“I think there’s a lot of work to go on for the Football Ferns. It’s a younger vibe of a team … the next World Cup will be more for them.<\/p>\n
“But what happens at a World Cup? Teams lift up. They’re at home so that will left them up. So you never know.”<\/p>\n
Australia and New Zealand have different goals come July: the Matildas have ambitions to contend, while the Football Ferns hope to win their first match at a World Cup.<\/p>\n
Off the field, there is an enthusiasm gap showing through ticket sales.<\/p>\n
According to FIFA, around 650,000 tickets were sold for the tournament prior to the final ticket release on Tuesday – but just 150,000 in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
The tournament opener in Auckland, when New Zealand hosts Norway, is not yet half-full, with 20,000 tickets sold.<\/p>\n
“We still have three months to go … we would expect hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders to pack out the four stadiums,” NZ-based tournament chief operating officer Jane Patterson told Radio NZ.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n