Speaking to the media ahead of a two-match series against Korea Republic, Emily van Egmond said that on-field performance was the focus for the CommBank Matildas, who continue their preparations for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™.
“We’re here to do a job as players, and that’s to perform on the field to the best of our ability,” she said of the upcoming matches in Sydney and Newcastle on Friday and Monday evening respectively.
“As a team, a collective, and a group, we can put our energy into that and our performance, and just keep preparing, particularly with the Asian Cup coming up.”
Korea Republic are ranked No.19 in the world and are one of the CommBank Matildas' potential rivals at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™.
Van Egmond explained that, while these games will be important for those reasons, any match between now and the tournament are equally crucial.
“Any game, and any opportunity that you get to represent your country – especially now, building up to that Asian Cup – is going to be important,” she said.
“Whether it’s Japan, South Korea – both Asian opposition – or the USA they’re all equally important for us.
“The goal is to keep building and to put ourselves in the best position possible.”
The experienced midfielder was asked about news that Sam Kerr had been granted release from Chelsea FC Women to join the CommBank Matildas training camp, continuing her rehabilitation under the supervision of the Performance Support team.
“It’s been really nice to have her around and to continue to support her with whatever she needs before she’s back on the pitch,” Van Egmond said.
“She’s in high spirits. She’s really been enjoying seeing the girls. It’s been a long time for her and for us. She’s always been a 'team' kind of person, so she’s excited to come and watch us play against Korea Republic on Friday night.”
Interim Head Coach Tom Sermanni is once again taking the reins for this international window. However, Van Egmond dismissed concerns that the team would be unprepared for the Asian Cup next year.
“It obviously takes time [to prepare],” she said.
“But in saying that, if you get the right candidate, anything’s possible. We’ve got a really good group of girls that are quite adaptable. We’ve been put in similar positions before – we obviously had Ante [Milicic] who came in and only had a few months to prep us for a World Cup [in 2019]. So it’s not impossible.
“As players, it’s also on us to make sure that whoever comes in next, we’re doing the best we can to make it a complete package.”
The previous international window was a disappointing one, with the CommBank Matildas unable to secure points at the SheBelieves Cup.
Van Egmond explained that now that the team was on home soil, they would be looking to regain their momentum.
“That’s football, isn’t it? Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t," she said.
“We love being back here in Sydney. Playing in front of our fans is always a huge boost for us. It’s important that we get a good performance on Friday night.
“The goal is the Asian Cup. Now, we’ve got a good opportunity on Friday night to go out and put on a good performance and start getting back to where we were.”
COMMBANK MATILDAS | MATCH SCHEDULE | MARCH /APRIL 2025
CommBank Matildas v Korea Republic
Date: Friday, 4 April 2025
Kick-off: 8.00 pm AEDT
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
TV Broadcast: Network 10, 10 Play and Paramount+
Radio Broadcast: ABC Listen App
Tickets: matildas.com.au/tickets
CommBank Matildas v Korea Republic
Date: Monday,7 April2025
Kick-off: 7:30 pm AEST
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
TV Broadcast: Paramount+ exclusive
Radio Broadcast: ABC Listen App
Tickets: matildas.com.au/tickets
