The Matildas will be waving the flag for Australia in their second game for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. The campaign continues in their match against Nigeria on Thursday, 27 July, beginning at 8pm AEST, with The Matildas looking to earn their place in the knockout stages. The match will be shown on Optus Sport and Channel Seven.
The Australians will be missing Sam Kerr who is sidelined with a calf injury, and will face Nigeria without both Mary Fowler and Aivi Luik due to concussions in training.
Speaking about the injury woes the team is facing ahead of facing Nigeria, Matildas acting captain Steph Catley said “Obviously that’s not what you want ever in a tournament. And in particular, this tournament has been very exciting and a big moment for all of us as Australian players, probably the biggest moment of our careers.
“So it’s the last thing that you want to see your teammates and your friends going through, but in saying that it’s football and it happens to every single footballer on the entire planet.
“We’re not the first team that’s had injuries in major tournaments and we won’t be the last.”
Australia’s first game of the FIFA Women’s World Cup saw them take a 1-0 win over Ireland. Seven reported that the Matildas’ opening match was a significant hit with viewers, reaching 4.88 million people across the screens of the Seven Network.
The game, played in front of a sold-out crowd of 76,000 at Stadium Australia, attracted an average audience of 1.93 million – 1.74 million national broadcast audience of 1.74 million viewers on Seven (including 1.23 million in the capital cities), plus another 184,000 viewers on 7plus.
See Also: Seven reports Matildas v Ireland match reached 4.88 million viewers
Australia v Nigeria
Date: Thursday, 27 July 2023
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-Off: 8:00 pm (AEST)
Broadcast: Optus Sport and Channel Seven