Football Ferns to end home drought in Christchurch

The Football Ferns will play on New Zealand soil next month for the first time in over four years...
The Football Ferns will play on New Zealand soil next month for the first time in over four years. Photo: Getty Images
The Football Ferns will play on New Zealand soil next month for the first time in over four years.

The Ferns will host two matches against world number 18 Korea Republic, both at Orangetheory Stadium in Christchurch.

The games are scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, November 12, and the evening of Tuesday, November 15.

This series marks the first of a number of home games the Ferns will play in the next six months, as preparations ramp up for the home World Cup next year.

The last time New Zealand played at home was a 3-1 defeat by Japan in June 2018.

Meanwhile, the team will take on Japan on Sunday after victories earlier this month over Mexico (1-0) and the Philippines (2-1), which broke a long winless streak.

However, Mexico (No 37) missed qualifying for the 2023 World Cup, with United States, Costa Rica, Canada and Jamaica emerging from Concacaf, while the Philippines (No 53) are ranked below nine other Asian teams.

Japan (No 11) will be a different proposition, one of the most consistent teams in the world over the last decade.

They are undefeated since February, when they were eliminated on penalties by China in the semifinals of the AFC Women's Championship. Since then they have beaten Serbia, Finland, South Korea and Taiwan.

"We want to be a good competitor for Japan, we will be ready to surprise them with our counter and transition," said Klimkova.