The Philippines will make their FIFA Women’s World Cup debut on Friday, 21 July 2023 as they face Switzerland, with the game to be played at the Dunedin Stadium. This will be just Switzerland’s second appearance at the tournament though, having failed to qualify since their inaugural campaign in 2015.
Switzerland made it to the round-of-sixteen on that occasion, having picked up one win in their group. They suffered defeat against Canada, who were hosting the tournament and themselves went on to reach the quarterfinals.
Concerningly, Switzerland haven’t won a fixture since the turn of the year. In six appearances, they’ve lost once and been held to five draws – scoring just five goals. Switzerland need to find their shooting boots if they’re to make it out of this difficult group, as they’ll face also competition from Norway and New Zealand, who will be bolstered by their home advantage.
Team news
Both sides boast fully fit 23-player squads, though Switzerland were dealt a major blow just weeks before the tournament. Iman Beney, a promising 16-year-old midfielder, has been forced to miss out on her World Cup debut after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury. She has been replaced by Amira Arfaoui.
Predicted lineups
The Philippines: O. McDaniel; Harrison, Randle, Long, Cesar; Guilllou, Bugay, Castañeda, Annis; Quezada, C. McDaniel
Switzerland: Peng; Maritz, Stierli, Bühler, Calligaris; Mauron; Crnogorčević, Humm, Reuteler; Terchoun, Lehmann
Where can I watch?
Kickoff at the Dunedin Stadium is scheduled for 6am UK time on Friday, 21 July 2023. The coverage will begin at 05:50 on ITV 1 and ITVx. If you’re unable to watch the match, fear not – we’ll have a detailed match report published within minutes of the final whistle.
FromTheSpot will be bringing you coverage of every game throughout the FIFA Women’s World Cup, including previews and detailed reports. We’ll cover games in the buildup to the tournament too, so you can get a feel for the potential favourites ahead of action getting underway in Australia and New Zealand.
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