Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou admits he is “not relaxed” by the uncertainty over the future of Harry Kane and wants the issue sorted as soon as possible.
England captain Kane has emerged as a prime transfer target for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich this summer.
The 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season but, while Bayern continue to push to secure his services and have reportedly lodged two bids for the forward, Spurs’ stance remains the same, they have no intention of selling Kane.
Tottenham’s record goalscorer has also been offered a new contract that is a significant increase on his current £200,000-a-week terms, the PA news agency understands, although reports claim
Kane will not sign a fresh deal this summer.
Postecoglou, who was appointed as new Spurs boss ahead of the new campaign, conceded the situation is not a welcome one. He told reporters, via football.london: “Fair to say I am not relaxed about it!
“It’s not something you go: ‘Ah, well, you know if it does or doesn’t happen!’ I mean it’s a very important part of this football club, not just the team, but the football club.
“So, you’ve got to deal with it, and I think, for everyone concerned, we don’t want to be doing it for too long. I don’t think that is good for anyone. I don’t think it is good for Harry, I don’t think it is good for the club, because as laser focused as we want to be, you end up sort of repeating yourself along the way.
“But the flip side of that is I don’t want to put a deadline on it, because that adds even more pressure. You want these things to happen for the right reasons. The reality of it is he’s still a contracted player at our football club, so that’s the way I see him.
“It’s not like his contract is ending on the 12th [of August] and he’s got to make a decision, he’s got another year.”
The Women’s World Cup continued with three games taking place on the second day of the tournament.
Spain and Switzerland got their campaigns off to a winning start against Costa Rica and the Philippines respectively.
However, Canada were forced to share the spoils with Nigeria after Christine Sinclair’s spot-kick was saved.
Here the PA news agency takes a look at Friday’s action.
Dominant Spain
Spain started their campaign by easing to a 3-0 victory over Costa Rica.
Valeria del Campo’s own goal was followed by strikes from Aitana Bonmati and Esther Gonzalez in the next six minutes.
Jenni Hermoso also had a penalty saved by Daniela Solera before half-time, meaning that there has been a spot-kick awarded in all five games in the tournament so far.
The match also marked the return of double Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who played the final 13 minutes of the game following her return from an ACL injury.
Missed chances for Canada
It was not the start to the tournament that Canada were hoping for after being held to a 0-0 draw by Nigeria in Group B.
In a tense clash, veteran Sinclair had the opportunity to put Canada ahead from the penalty spot, but she was denied by brilliant diving save from Nigeria’s goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.
The Super Eagles had Deborah Abiodun sent-off in the final stages of the game.
Nnadozie’s stellar performance earned praise from Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum.
He said: “Chiamaka has done this before and I will say this and I will embarrass her in front of you all, but I think she’s one of the best young goalkeepers in the world right now.”
Swiss top Group A
Switzerland take the advantage into the next round of fixtures after they beat the Philippines 2-0 to top Group A.
It was a tough start for the Filipinas on their World Cup debut after Katrina Guillou had her effort ruled out for offside in the 16th minute.
Ramona Bachmann then put the Swiss ahead with a penalty before the break and Seraina Piubel secured victory with her strike in the 64th minute.
Switzerland are level with co-hosts New Zealand on three points and will face Norway next on Tuesday.
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Group E: USA v Vietnam (2am, Eden Park, Auckland)
Group C: Zambia v Japan (8am, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton)
Group D: England v Haiti (10.30am, Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane)
Group D: Denmark v China (1pm, Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth)
all times BST
England goalkeeper Mary Earps has expressed her dismay over the “very hurtful” decision not to put her replica shirt on sale ahead of the World Cup.
The Manchester United star was named the world’s best goalkeeper in women’s football by FIFA in February, and was also appointed vice-captain by England boss Sarina Wiegman for this global showpiece.
Earps claimed she only realised her shirt would not be made available by manufacturer Nike in April, and said she has since been “fighting behind closed doors” to find a solution before England open their campaign on Saturday against Haiti but to no avail.
The Euro 2022 champion said: “I can’t really sugar-coat this in any way, so I am not going to try. It is hugely disappointing and very hurtful.
“It is very, on a personal level, it is obviously hugely hurtful considering the last 12 months especially – and also I think there has been an incredible rise in goalkeeping participation over that year.
“I go into grassroots clubs and I am asked to bribe people to go into goal, and I have been to more clubs recently and that’s not been the case.
“A lot of that has come off the back of the Euros but also some of my success this year.
“For my own family and friends and loved ones not to be able to buy my shirt, they are going to come out and wear normal clothes and I know that sounds like: ‘Oh Mary, what a horrible problem,’ but on a personal level that is really hard.
“You know, (England captain) Millie (Bright) spoke to me a couple of weeks ago or maybe a bit longer and said: ‘Mary, my niece is desperate to get your shirt, where can I get it?’. I was like: ‘Yeah you can’t, it doesn’t exist’.
“I think that is a huge problem, and I think it is a scary message that is being sent to goalkeepers worldwide that you are not important.
“(Kids) are going to say: ‘Mum, dad, can I have a Mary Earps shirt?’ And they say: ‘I can’t but I can get you an Alessia Russo 23 or a Rachel Daly 9.’ And so what you are saying is that goalkeeping isn’t important but you can be a striker if you want.”
England men’s keeper Jordan Pickford also does not have a replica goalkeeper shirt available for purchase on the England store.
Earps claimed she offered to fund the shirts herself and that the Football Association (FA) has supported her efforts, but said she was ultimately forced to produce her own limited edition t-shirt because she at the very least “wanted to create something that people could have for themselves” at the World Cup.
The PA news agency understands that while the FA is involved in the design of England kits, the manufacturer ultimately determines the commercial direction of what is produced.
PA has contacted Nike for comment.
England’s unlikely World Cup mascot will be watching the Lionesses from his forever home as Dave the cat settles into his new surroundings.
While football might not have come home from Qatar, stray cat Dave did after the friendly feline became a firm favourite of the squad as he roamed freely around England’s Al Wakrah training base.
Manchester City duo John Stones and Kyle Walker were pictured with Dave on most evenings and the latter said the team would adopt the cat if Gareth Southgate’s men won the World Cup.
Despite their quarter-final exit at the hands of France, Dave was still given the chance to travel to the UK and was eventually rehomed by the Football Association’s media operations manager Anna Bush and her family.
“There was a discussion around wanting Dave to end up with a family with young children, so I put my hand up and volunteered and my children are absolutely delighted,” she told the PA news agency.
“They’ve never had a pet before and what a first pet to have! They (the players) are aware and delighted. He’s got a new home and a family to look after him.”
He left Al Wakrah in December, just two hours after the squad had departed for home, and headed to a veterinary clinic where he had blood tests and vaccinations.
After being in quarantine for months he was welcomed by his new family, instantly taking to his surroundings and showing he picked up a keen eye for football after his stint as England’s top cat.
While Dave lived the life of a stray during the men’s World Cup, he can watch the women attempt to follow up their Euros success from last summer in the comfort of his new home.
The Bush family even have a way of making sure Dave – who now has his own Instagram page – is part of any success Down Under as he offers up his match predictions, with a little incentive to back Sarina Wiegman and her team.
“He has settled in so well,” added Bush.
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“He loves the surrounding area and loves it in the sun – he is finding his feet and absolutely loves watching my two boys play football in the garden.
“One of them actually coloured in both of the crests ahead of the Champions League and wanted Manchester City to win so he put a few treats down (on the City crest) and so Dave predicted that Man City were going to win the Champions League final and they did!
“Now we have to start doing that for the Women’s World Cup I suppose – bring on England on Saturday.”
England boss Sarina Wiegman vowed the Lionesses would do “everything” they can to bring home a first World Cup when they begin their campaign against Haiti in Brisbane on Saturday.
Wiegman also provided a welcome update on captain Millie Bright, who is fit to start tomorrow’s contest after concerns she was still recovering from the knee injury she sustained in March which required surgery.
The World Cup trophy is one that has so far eluded both England and Wiegman, who led the Netherlands to the final four years ago in France but fell to defeat at the hands of the United States.
Asked if England could lift the trophy this year, she said: “We’re here and we have a dream, and of course there’s always a chance to win the World Cup, and many more countries can win the World Cup I think, but of course we’re going to give our everything starting tomorrow.”
FIFA world number four England are ranked 49 places above Saturday opponents Haiti, who beat Chile in the qualifying play-off to reach a maiden World Cup.
The Lionesses are heavy favourites to top Group D, which also includes 13th-ranked Denmark and number 14 China.
Wiegman, however, was quick to dismiss the idea that facing lower-ranked opposition puts England in a position of having more to lose, perhaps more so than when they kicked off their winning Euro 2022 campaign against Austria last summer.
“The pressure is always something. Everyone expected England to win anyway. This is for tomorrow and also last year, and that was also for the Austria game for the European Championships,” she added.
“So that’s not different. What we’re just trying to do is play our game and focus on what we have to do and how we can win, and that’s basically what we do all the time, so bring it back to what actions we need to take as a team.”
Wiegman said she has “basically decided” on her starting XI for tomorrow but would not reveal whether or not the players had already been informed.
The Lionesses begin their sixth World Cup still having not come to an agreement with the Football Association over issues surrounding performance-based bonus payments and commercial structures.
On Tuesday, Bright posted a statement on Twitter on behalf of the team which said they were “disappointed that a resolution has still not been achieved” but would “pause discussions, with full intentions of revisiting them following the tournament”.
The skipper, who will wear a FIFA-sanctioned ‘Unite for Inclusion’ armband in Saturday’s contest, reiterated that those discussions are now fully parked.
“Obviously it’s not a situation everyone wants to be in, but I think as players we’re not just programmed to play football,” Bright said.
“Sometimes we have to have these conversations. But we have a very professional group and football is always at the front of everything. So as players now our heads are in the game, they always have been on the game.
“Everything is on hold with those sorts of questions. We’ll address the situation at a later date, but for now it’s all about the tournament.”
Earlier, Haiti manager Nicolas Delepine took a lighthearted stab at the Lionesses, who have not scored in their last three matches including the behind-closed-doors training game with Canada on the Sunshine Coast a week ago which ended in a goalless draw not for official records.
He told a press conference: “It’s going to be a difficult game, for sure. And if I have to talk about the strengths of England, I’ll be here all day.
“In big competitions England are tough opponents. They played well in the European Championships.
“We’re expecting a high intensity game. They are a difficult team to play against, they are attacking with threats everywhere but they maybe have a problem with finishing.”
Jamaica’s assistant coach Xavier Gilbert is not denying that France will pose a challenge for his Reggae Girlz outfit to start their Fifa Women’s World Cup campaign. But he is hopeful that they will be able to overcome the daunting task and secure their first ever point at the global showpiece.
Gilbert’s cautious optimism came, as he was heartened by the Girlz lively training session, which he believes is a good indicator of the team’s mental and physical readiness ahead of Sunday’s opening Group F fixture against the fifth-ranked French team.
Well aware that France will be no pushovers, Gilbert, an assistant to Head coach Lorne Donaldson, is backing the 43rd-ranked Girlz to give their more illustrious opponents a run for their money when they take the field at the Sydney Football Stadium.
“We have been analyzing the French team from before they got here and their (0-1) loss to Australia kind of confirmed some of the things that we already knew. They really don’t change their style of play; they kept pressing and the Australian faced them front on. But that was a part of their preparation, so we still have to be mindful of how they attack and how they defend, and we just have to execute our game plan,” Gilbert said.
“Nothing is wrong with dreaming, but I honestly think we really have a good chance of getting something from the game, especially if we play smart and contain them, it will get easier for us. We do have quality players who can match up against them, there is no doubt about that.
“Psychologically our top striker [Khadija “Bunny” Shaw] is raring to go and they know that she can be a handful, so their efforts to contain her, might leave an opening for others in the attacking front to capitalise and those are some of things we want to exploit,” he added.
With two good sessions now under their belts, including a competitive squad match at the Victoria State Training Centre on Thursday, Gilbert explained that the focus now is to iron out a few finer tactical details to ensure an efficient execution against, France, in particular.
“The Girlz were buzzing from the other day, and it showed in this session which is a good indication that they are ready and raring to go. The session was pretty much how we can exploit some weak areas in the French tactics and also how to curtail some of their strengths based on how we defend, especially in the wide areas.
“We know they are going to counter press a lot and then try and force us through the middle and they also play a lot in transition. So, this session was pretty much to look at countering some of the things that they have been doing over the last few games and how we anticipate they are going to attack us,” the tactician shared.
He pointed out that the Reggae Girlz 1-0 win over Morocco in their first and only warm-up encounter, also provided good insight where gauging the team was concerned.
“We did our analysis and showed them some clips of the things that we did well because part of that game was to fix some of the things that we want to do against the French team. We did some of that, and even the goal, was as a result of what we did before in terms of our attacking thrust. So, there were a lot of positives that came from that game in terms of how we want to operate going forward,” Gilbert noted.
Finally, Gilbert revealed that all concerns regarding Jody Brown’s knock which she picked up in the Morocco friendly, have been allayed, as the diminutive winger was fully integrated into the team’s session and brought up to speed on tactics.
“She is good, it is just about managing and ensuring that we have a full team, and everybody is available for selection ahead of our first game. But she will be fine, the nature of the injury is nothing to be alarmed about,” Gilbert declared.
After their contest with France, the Girlz will do battle against Panama on July 29 at Perth Rectangular Stadium and then close the group stages against Brazil at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, on August 2.
New Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana cannot wait to create his own legacy at Old Trafford after he completed his move to the club on Thursday night.
United reached an agreement with Inter Milan to sign Onana for an initial 51m euros (£43.8m) with add-ons on Tuesday, and the 27-year-old has now sealed his switch to the Premier League club.
Onana has signed a five-year deal and targeted helping boss Erik Ten Hag secure more success.
He said: “To join Manchester United is an incredible honour and I have worked hard all my life to get to this moment, overcoming many obstacles along the way.
“Walking out at Old Trafford to defend our goal and contribute to the team will be another amazing experience. This is the start of a new journey for me, with new teammates and new ambitions to fight for.
“Manchester United has a long history of incredible goalkeepers, and I will now give everything to create my own legacy in the coming years.
“I am excited by the opportunity to work again with Erik ten Hag, and I can’t wait to play my part in the success I know he is determined to deliver at this great football club.”
Burnley have completed the signing of goalkeeper James Trafford on a four-year deal.
The 20-year-old arrives at Turf Moor from Manchester City for an undisclosed fee after spending last season on loan at League One club Bolton.
Earlier this month Trafford’s heroics helped England earn European Under-21 Championship glory after he made a diving save to deny Abel Ruiz’s penalty-kick in stoppage time to secure a 1-0 victory against Spain in the final.
He told the Burnley website: “I feel very happy to officially be a Burnley player. I was excited for it to all get done whilst the Euros was going on, I knew a lot about it and I was waiting to get back to make it all official really.
“I want to improve and learn as much as I can here and as a team. I just want to take it a day at a time and try and achieve as much as we can going forward.”
Burnley finished top of the Championship last season with 101 points to earn promotion back into the Premier League and manager Vincent Kompany is looking forward to seeing what Trafford can do this season.
“We’ve signed an extremely talented young man. More than just a talent he’s a great character,” Kompany said.
“James is a very impressive, confident mature young man. Most people have seen what he’s achieved in his career so far and his level of talent.
“We’re looking forward to developing that even further, making him even better. He’s done so much already and what excites us is how far he can go.”
England’s Mary Earps has revealed the public high of winning Euro 2022 and being named FIFA women’s goalkeeper of the year resulted in an unwelcome private battle to “feel human again”.
The Manchester United keeper, set to start in the Lionesses’ World Cup opener against Haiti on Saturday, has cemented her place as England’s number one since the arrival of boss Sarina Wiegman, whom Earps often credits for reigniting a career she once thought had ground to a halt.
Though the 30-year-old loved “experiencing almost how the Kardashians live” at FIFAs swanky February awards ceremony in Paris, she was surprised by the corresponding lows in the aftermath.
Earps, speaking from England’s team hotel in Brisbane, said: “I was speaking with Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher, and we were talking about the difference between winning a tournament and then having a disappointing tournament and how different it’s to come back from that. And I was saying for me personally, I felt like that was the hardest thing I ever did.
“Okay, that’s an exaggeration. Not the hardest thing I ever did, but it was the hardest footballing thing to come back to.
“Like you’ve been on this massive high for so long and then you come back to normal life where you are not in this bubble, you’re not living in this little world, you’re not surrounded by people.
“And it’s absolutely a life of privilege, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a lot to adjust to coming back and going back to training every day.
“Not at that intensity, not at that pressure, but also with that comes an incredible adrenaline rush. And not having that every day, it was hard to find your feet as to what normal felt like. And it probably took me till after December to feel human again.
“And then obviously the FIFA Best came and I felt like I had to start all over again.
“It’s a privilege to be in that situation and a problem that I would love to have every single year, but it was definitely hard to adjust.”
England vice-captain Earps may need to repeat that process again should the Lionesses, among the tournament favourites, lift the trophy that has eluded them in five previous World Cup appearances.
At the beginning of 2021, Earps was on the verge of quitting football altogether. Her contract at United was coming to an end and she had not featured for England since November 2019.
Yet Wiegman saw something in Earps when she took the reins in September 2021 and recalled the Nottingham native and 2019 World Cup veteran as part of her first selected squad, handing her a fresh start in England’s 8-0 victory over North Macedonia to begin the World Cup qualifiers.
Earps, who was also offered a new deal with United, has seized the opportunity with both gloves ever since and was instrumental in ensuring four of the Lionesses’ six matches in their unbeaten run to lift the Euro 2022 trophy were clean-sheet victories.
Perhaps Earps’ path is most aptly illustrated by her journey to and from the FIFA awards, where she had a personal security guard named Johnny and the “surreal” experience of discussing the finer points of goalkeeping with Argentinian World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez and Arsene Wenger.
Earps took EasyJet on the way there, but flew business class on the way back, where she was closer to the front than she had ever been in her life.
Yet before the Golden Gloves, the first-class keeper was determined to elevate England to new heights.
She added: “I always thought it was there. I didn’t think that it would burn as deeply as it’s burning. It’s like a fire in your belly that I’ve always had. But I think you’re always trying to achieve things that you don’t know if it’s going to be possible.
“You’re like, that’s what you’re striving for, you’re striving for this excellence and you’re constantly on this pursuit of, ‘How far can I go? How high can I go?’
“And to actually achieve those things just makes me want to fill my cabinet with even more trophies and medals really. It doesn’t make me feel like, ‘Job done’, which I thought that it would. It makes me just want to do more, do better.”
Republic of Ireland international Matt Doherty has completed a return to Wolves on a free transfer.
The defender has signed a three-year deal with the Molineux outfit, after making more than 300 appearances during his first spell at the club.
Doherty left Wolves after a decade of service to sign for Tottenham in 2020 but departed Spurs in January on a free transfer and joined Atletico Madrid on a six-month deal.
After the 31-year-old made only two appearances during his brief stint in Spain, he has now returned to England and will work under Julen Lopetegui.
Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs said: “We’re really happy Matt’s back and he’s one the manager really wanted when he knew he was available.
“After Spurs and Atletico Madrid, he’s hungry to prove himself again and will add strength in depth to the full-back area, providing competition and making us better in those positions.
“He knows the club and what it means to play here – he’s been successful at Wolves before and knows what the fans want.
“For us, it’s another homegrown player, but one who can share his knowledge and the required standards across the group, so he will be able to slot back in no problem.”
Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw credited her side’s resilience but lauded Australia’s attacking threats despite the absence of Sam Kerr after their 1-0 defeat to the joint-hosts in the Women’s World Cup.
Steph Catley’s 52nd-minute penalty was enough for the Matildas to overcome a dogged Ireland and get them off to the perfect start in Group B.
The hosts were without captain Kerr, with the Chelsea striker set to miss the next two matches of her home World Cup with a calf injury.
Pauw praised her team’s reaction to going a goal down and their overall performance despite defeat.
“It was impossible to switch play in the first half because they (Australia) did really well but in the second half we found solutions and we made changes to make sure we had control in those areas,” Pauw said.
“We had more opportunism in our play because we needed to score and I think that worked out really well. Abbie (Larkin) and Lucy (Quinn) were fantastic when they came on.
“Sam Kerr is of course one of, if not the top striker in the world so the fact that she did not play was a surprise for us but Australia have so many fast and attacking players that our game plan did not change because of that.
“We had prepared for that (top attacking players) and we had taken all their intentions out to get beyond our defensive line, they were not there once and that’s a huge compliment for our team as that’s what they were aiming for.”
Tony Gustavsson credited Kerr’s leadership off the pitch.
The Matildas manager admitted he did not want Ireland to learn the news of her injury prior to Thursday’s fixture.
“She (Kerr) means a lot for us emotionally, spiritually and with that team spirit for sure and Steph (Catley) as a vice captain, the way those two lead this team is amazing,” Gustavsson said.
“Sam is a massive part of Ireland’s game plan and we didn’t want to give that away in advance but once we come to the stadium we didn’t play any type of mind games, we were honest with the team sheet but we wanted to wait to the last second to not give away too much in tournament football.
“I ask for some understanding with that, I hope it’s OK. It’s obviously devastating for us and the players.”
Co-hosts Australia and New Zealand kicked off the World Cup with victories on the opening day of the tournament.
The pair bring with them very different sets of expectations, with the Matildas amongst the favourites for the crown whilst the Football Ferns came seeking a first win on the world stage.
However, the day was overshadowed by the deadly shooting in Auckland, with a minute’s silence in memory of those killed held ahead of both matches.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the drama that unfolded as the World Cup finally got under way.
New Zealand stun Norway
Expectations for 1995 champions Norway are not what they once were, particularly in the wake of a group stage exit at Euro 2022 and an 8-0 mauling at the hands of England, but few anticipated them to fall to New Zealand at Eden Park.
But Jitka Klimkova’s underdogs delivered a memorable curtain raiser thanks to Hannah Wilkinson’s 48th-minute goal in front of more than 42,000 ecstatic supporters, a record for a football match in the country
It was the team’s 16th attempt at winning a match at the finals and could have been made sweeter had Ria Percival not struck a post from the penalty spot late on after handball was given against Tuva Hansen.
“The expectations, we will put those on ourselves first,” said goalscorer Wilkinson. “We’ll take momentum from this first win into the next game.
“It’s incredibly important that we secure a space outside of this group and we can do that in this next game.”
Battling display from Irish debutants
The Matildas were expected to have an easier ride than their co-hosts, but Ireland were in no mood to offer safe passage towards three points on their World Cup debut in Sydney.
It took a second-half penalty from Steph Catley to see off Vera Pauw’s newcomers, after Marissa Sheva shoved Hayley Raso to the ground.
Australia were missing Sam Kerr with the Chelsea forward also set to be absent for the next game against Nigeria, and struggled to break down the Republic during a first half of few chances.
Ireland manager Vera Pauw said: “Sam Kerr is of course one of, if not the top striker in the world so the fact that she did not play was a surprise for us but Australia have so many fast and attacking players that our game plan did not change because of that.”
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Group B: Nigeria v Canada (3.30am, Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne)
Group A: Philippines v Switzerland (6am, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin)
Group C: Spain v Costa Rica (8.30am, Regional Stadium, Wellington)
Steph Catley ensured co-hosts Australia opened their World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland despite the absence of star striker Sam Kerr.
Catley’s second-half penalty was enough to clinch three points for the Matildas in front of a record crowd of 75,784 at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
However, they had to do it the hard way after their record goalscorer Kerr was ruled out of the first two Group B games with a calf injury suffered in training.
Vera Pauw’s side, making their debut at a major tournament, made life difficult throughout for a side ranked 10th by FIFA, 12 places above Ireland.
But despite a late flurry, they were unable to get themselves back on level terms and will now turn their attention to next Wednesday’s clash with Canada in Perth.
For Australia, there was relief after three hard-earned points were banked to match the feat of co-hosts New Zealand, who had earlier stunned Group A rivals Norway with a 1-0 victory in Auckland, ahead of their second fixture against Nigeria next Thursday.
Boss Jitka Klimkova revealed all remained calm in advance of New Zealand’s 1-0 victory over Norway which opened the Women’s World Cup in Auckland, where a fatal shooting took place on Thursday morning.
The incident, which occurred in the city’s central business district close to Norway’s team hotel, resulted in three deaths – including that of the suspected gunman – with more wounded in what New Zealand Police characterised as an “isolated incident” and “not a national security risk”.
FIFA said a decision was taken to proceed with the match as planned after consulting with New Zealand authorities and the participating teams, who observed a moment of silence for the victims before the tournament kicked off at Eden Park.
The Football Ferns opened their campaign in style as Hannah Wilkinson’s second-half goal was enough to set the pace in Group A.
Klimkova said: “The players today were more preparing for themselves and it was pretty relaxed, but we still gave them the option to speak to the staff to get clarity but I believe the clarity was there, so they were more focussing on their individual preparation.”
FIFA also issued a statement before kick-off assuring they had no safety concerns for the rest of the tournament, which will see England open their campaign against Haiti on Saturday and conclude with the August 20 final at Sydney’s Stadium Australia.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “We appreciate the collaboration with the New Zealand authorities from the earliest moment of this tragic incident.
“We have been involved in ongoing communication from the outset, and we have also received the necessary reassurances from Minister for Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson in relation to the safety and security of the participating teams and fans at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand.
“FIFA extends its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims who lost their lives, and our thoughts and prayers remain with those who have been injured in this tragic incident.”
Robertson echoed Infantino’s assurances, saying: “This incident is in no way related to the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament and there are no national security concerns. We have provided the necessary assurances about the security of the tournament to FIFA’s leadership this afternoon.
“There is a comprehensive security plan around our hosting of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and we will continue to work with the police who have been part of an operational planning group for the tournament, and as such, have plans in place and were well placed to deal with this morning’s incident.”
An earlier statement from football’s global governing body said FIFA was “in constant contact” with the teams involved and they are “being supported in relation to any impact that may have taken place”.
Norway’s team hotel is located around 400 metres from where the shooting took place, but a team spokesperson told the PA news agency before the match that everything was calm in the Norwegian squad and preparations for the match were proceeding as normal.
Captain Maren Mjelde said in a statement: “Being informed about the consequences, the Norwegian team’s thoughts are with those affected and their families.
“Everyone probably woke up quite quickly when the helicopter hovered outside our hotel window and a large number of emergency vehicles arrived.
“At first we didn’t know what was going on, but eventually there were updates on TV and the local media. We felt safe the whole time. FIFA has a good security system at the hotel and we have our own security officer in the squad.
“Everyone seems calm and we are preparing as normal for the game tonight, then we may have to adapt if there are any instructions from the authorities.”
Olivia Grange, Jamaica's Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, has expressed her deep sadness at the sudden death of former national footballer, Bancroft Gordon, who had been visiting the island from the United States. He was 66.
Reports indicate that the Excelsior High School alum died suddenly on Tuesday night, 48 hours after attending an event in Porus, Manchester.
“So sad that Bancroft, who was one of the guests at the Porus Football Festival in Manchester on Sunday and actually played in the exhibition football match, died two days later,” Minister Grange said.
During the early 1970s, ‘Banky’ as he was affectionately known, represented Excelsior High School in several sports including basketball, hockey, cricket, and track and field. Later in life, he developed a passion for golf. His talents in academics and athletics won him a football scholarship to Howard University in Washington, DC where he thrived both on and off the field as an All-American in football and Phi Beta honours in academics.
After graduation with a degree in Economics and with the dissolution of the North American Soccer League, Bancroft would gain admission to Harvard University Law School and went on to have a successful career during which time he was also a mentor to several Jamaican student-athletes.
“He was so talented that he represented his alma mater, Excelsior High School, in five sports before settling on football as his final focus and went to represent Jamaica from 1976-79. He also played professional soccer in the US for two years,” Minister Grange said.
“Bancroft also distinguished himself as a lawyer and was employed by the Fortune 500 corporation, Marriott International Inc. as its vice president, assistant general counsel and corporate secretary and was also a board member of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce.
“What has proved to be his last visit to his homeland along with his continued assistance to the national team as well as to various club teams, showed that his love for football in Jamaica remained strong to the end.
“My condolences to Bancroft’s family members, associates and to the football fraternity.”
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