New Zealand Football have announced Tom Sermanni as the new Head Coach of the Football Ferns, ahead of their World Cup qualifiers in November, reports nzfootball.co.nz.
The highly decorated Scot, who ended a three-year stint with Orlando Pride in the NWSL last month, is vastly experienced after coaching the Australian Matildas and the USA Women’s Team in a coaching career that dates back to 1988.
Sermanni will be straight into work when he names the Football Ferns squad next week to compete at the Oceania Nations Cup in New Caledonia in November. The Ferns will look to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup next year in France and also the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Sermanni will be the Head Coach of Football Ferns until the FIFA Women’s World Cup next year.
Andrew Pragnell, the Interim NZ Football Chief Executive, said it was great to have a coach of Sermanni’s experience coaching the Football Ferns in the business end of the FIFA World Cup cycle.
“Tom comes to New Zealand with an incredible amount of experience and we are pleased to have coach of his calibre leading the Ferns as they look to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and compete with the best teams in the world,” said Pragnell.
“I’m delighted to be given the challenge of qualifying the Football Ferns for the World Cup in France next year,” Sermanni said from Orlando. “During my time in coaching I’ve always had a close relationship with the team and I am very pleased to have the opportunity to lead the program during this exciting time.”
The OFC Nations Cup will be held in New Caledonia from 18 November – 1 December. The Football Ferns, who are the defending champions, will face Tonga, the Cook Islands and Fiji in the group stage.
