New Zealand have qualified for this year's Under-17 women's World Cup in style after notching a 9-0 win over Papua New Guinea in Auckland to rubber-stamp their ticket to Azerbaijan.
Needing just to avoid defeat against second-placed Papua New Guinea to win the Oceania qualifiers, the Young Football Ferns shookaside complacency to notch a thoroughly convincing win. Papua New Guinea's bad day was capped off when they were reduced to 10 players after Talitha Irakau was sent off two minutes before the end.
Hannah Carlsen led the way with a hat-trick to share the golden boot trophy with teammate Jasmine Pereira, while 14-year-old Daisy Cleverley and Pereira both grabbed braces. Substitute Emma Rolston and a strike by Megan Lee after just 55 seconds completed the scoring.
New Zealand join Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, China, Japan, North Korea, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and hosts Azerbaijan as nations already qualified for the 16-team tournament from September 22-October 13.
Young Football Ferns coach Paul Temple was very satisfied with the quality of his side's performance and delighted to qualify but fully aware the World Cup would be a much tougher examination of his side's credentials.
"Everyone that qualifies for the Under-17 women's World Cup will be among the best teams in the world so it will be very competitive," Temple said. "But we're building. There are some good signs there and they've played some good football. But I think we'll be a match for anyone on our day. I've got a lot of confidence in the players."
The under-20 side can emulate the under-17s by qualifying for the Under-20 women's World Cup in Japan by taking at least a point from bottom-placed Samoa in their final match at Centre Park tomorrow.
New Zealand 9 (Megan Lee 1, Daisy Cleverley 22, 39, Hannah Carlsen 36, 40, 78, Jasmine Pereira 46, 90+3, Emma Rolston 77) Papua New Guinea 0. HT: 5-0.
