Oxtoby: Northern Ireland Women eager for match against Portugal
A corner flag emblazoned with the Northern Ireland logo. Credit: Hugh de Paor (ETPhotos)
Northern Ireland's senior women’s team manager, Tanya Oxtoby, feels confident about her squad's readiness as they prepare for the challenging doubleheader against Portugal. The team is set to play a UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 qualifier in Leiria this Friday (31 May) and then face Portugal again next Tuesday (4 June) in Lurgan.
Oxtoby expressed, “Our training sessions in Portugal have been excellent. It's been wonderful to reunite everyone, and the players have shown great spirit.
“We’re fully aware of the tough challenge Portugal presents, but we're looking forward to it.
“Our team is undergoing a transitional phase. We have seasoned players and a promising influx of young talent. The matches against Portugal will be a fantastic opportunity for us to test our abilities and foster further development within the squad.”
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Portugal are the top seeds in League B Group 3, with Northern Ireland ranked third in the group. Portugal stands at 21st in the FIFA Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking, while Northern Ireland is placed 46th.
Oxtoby emphasized: “The pressure isn’t on us. With Portugal being more than 20 places ahead of us in the FIFA rankings, I think the pressure is on them.
“We're going to embrace the occasion in Leiria and aim to deliver a strong performance.”
The senior women’s team manager also mentioned that there are no injury issues among the 23 players who have traveled to Portugal this week.
Midfielder Megan Bell had to pull out of the squad last week due to a hamstring injury, but everyone else, including her replacement Louise McDaniel, is in good health according to Oxtoby.
Northern Ireland will play against Portugal at Estádio Dr Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria, located in the Central Region of Portugal, within the province of Beira Litoral.
The second game of the doubleheader will be held at Mourneview Park, the home ground of Glenavon FC.
Last month, the senior women’s team secured a 0-0 home draw with Malta and a 3-1 away victory against second seeds Bosnia and Herzegovina as they kicked off their B3 campaign.
