20th July, 2023
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
New Zealand shocked Women’s football powerhouse, Norway on Thursday in the opening game of the 2023 Women’s World Cup co-hosted by the country and Australia.
Hannah Wilkinson, 31, who plies her trade for Melbourne City, scored the only goal of the match for the co-host on 48 minutes into the game.
She was assisted by 24-year-old Jacqui Hand.
Norway female team, which won the World Cup in 1995 and were runner-up in 1991, could not equalise as the Oceanian country ran away with a win.
New Zealand have not beaten Norway on 16 attempts, but they broke the jinx on Thursday.
In the match played in Auckland, New Zealand were quickest out of the traps, testing a Norway defence that was struggling to adapt to the pace of the contest.
Wilkinson was the driving force, but the Football Ferns lacked quality in the final third, and ultimately failed to register a single shot on target in the opening period.
Despite a strong finish to the half from Norway, New Zealand had shaded the opening period and made their superiority pay within three minutes of the restart to take the lead in devastating fashion.
Intricate build-up sliced the Grasshoppers’ defence open, allowing Jacqui Hand the space to pick out Wilkinson in the middle to rifle home and scored in a third World Cup.