Tough 2019 World Cup for Banyana
Banyana Banyana will face twotime champions Germany, China and Spain at the 2019 women’s World Cup in France after being placed in Group B during Saturday’s draw.
The ceremony at La Seine Musicale in Boulogne-Billancourt, just outside Paris, also saw the other African representative, Cameroon, being placed in Group E where they will face 2015 hosts Canada, European champions the Netherlands and New Zealand; while Nigeria will play against hosts France, Korea Republic and Norway in Group A.
England and Scotland will meet each other in Group D alongside former winners Japan as well as Argentina.
Reigning champions the US are set up for a clash with Thailand to begin their defence of the title in Group F which also include Chile and Sweden.
Hosts France will meet South Korea in the opening game of the 24-team tournament at the Parc des Princes in Paris on June 7 as Les Bleues hope to match their male counterparts, who won this year’s World Cup in Russia.
The final will be played on July 7 in Lyon, the 58,000-seat stadium in the city that is home to the women’s Champions League holders.
For England, the draw cohosted by their former star Alex Scott handed them the tantalising prospect of an opening game in Group D against old rivals Scotland in Nice on June 9.
They also met in their opening group game at Euro 2017 in the Netherlands, with England romping to a 6-0 victory on their way to a semifinal defeat against the hosts.
“I think it’s a great group,” said England manager Phil Neville, who also highlighted the matches that will follow.
“England against Argentina is historically always a feisty occasion and then England against Japan is two of the top five or six teams in the world, so we could not have asked for a better group.”
Neville’s side were also semifinalists at the 2015 World Cup in Canada, losing to Japan, while Scotland will be making their tournament debut.
The US have won three of the previous seven tournaments and will fancy their chances of going all the way again, although they could meet France in the last eight.
“I think it’s a good draw for us. It pits us against a couple of teams we are not that familiar with, which I like, and I like having Sweden in the third game,” said US coach Jill Ellis. That might sound ominous for France, who have disappointed at recent tournaments, losing in the quarterfinals in 2015 and again at the last Euro.
Australia were among the top seeds but Alen Stajcic’s side must face Brazil and Italy as well as debutants Jamaica in Group C. The Matildas will meet Italy in their opening game in Valenciennes on June 9.
“Brazil is a superpower of football, Italy is a traditional superpower of football and Jamaica is a new emerging nation,” said Stajcic. “It’s going to be very exciting but tough for all four teams.” –