CommBank Matildas captain Sam Kerr said that the team was excited to be back in camp for the first time since the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™.
She was speaking from Kenya where the team has gathered ahead of the FIFA Series 2026™.
“We’re excited to be back in camp,” she said.
“It all ended so quickly after the Asian Cup - it was a short turnaround with our clubs. Everyone's really excited to be back and excited to be in Kenya. It’s a new experience for us all.”
She reflected on the Asian Cup, saying it was an overall positive experience.
“It sucks to just look at the final and for it to feel like a bit of a disappointment,” she said.
“We qualified for the World Cup, which is a positive. Japan are a great team. But I feel like with what we achieved, and how the nation got behind us, it felt like a positive tournament.”
There is one first-time call-up for this window – Melbourne City’s Leticia McKenna. Originally from Perth, McKenna played with Kerr in the early days of her A-League Women’s career at Perth Glory.
“I was excited to see her name - I haven't seen her in many years!” Kerr said.
“She was such a young kid when I played with her, so it's a nice full circle moment. She was great at Perth Glory. She’s been great for City this season, she’s been doing well. I'm really proud, and it's nice to have another Perth girl in the squad.”
Kerr said that she was excited to take on Malawi, and then either Kenya or India during this international window.
“it’s a little bit of the unknown,” she said.
“That’s the exciting part about international football, is that you always face different opponents. Most of us haven't faced many African teams over the years of our Matildas careers. It’s always interesting and exciting.
“For many of us, it’s our first time here in Africa. We come to Asia a lot, but it's really nice to be in Africa. Hopefully get to do a safari! It’s such a different lifestyle and world.”
She said that facing different opposition was important to help the team continue to grow and adapt to new challenges.
“It's important, just in the fact that you're going to face different teams in the World Cup,” she said.
“The World Cup is getting bigger each time, and you face different teams from all different confederations, so it's important for us to be ready for all types of games. There’s no better way to start than here in Kenya.”
WOMEN’S FIFA SERIES 2026- KENYA
Match One:
Kenya v India
Date: Saturday 11 April 2026/Sunday 12 April 2026 AEST
Kick-off: 6.00pm local/1.00am AEST
Venue: Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi
Match Two:
CommBank Matildas v Malawi
Date: Saturday 11 April 2026
Kick-off: 2.00pm local/9.00pm AEST
Venue: Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi
TV Broadcast: Paramount+
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Match Three:
Runner-up Match One v Runner-up Match Two
Date: Wednesday 15 April 2026
Kick-off: 2.00pm local/9.00pm AEST
Venue: Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi
Match Four:
Winner Match One vs Winner Match Two
Date: Wednesday 15 April 2026/Thursday 16 April 2026 AEST
Kick-off: 6.00pm local/1.00am AEST
Venue: Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi
TV Broadcast: All CommBank Matildas matches will be broadcast exclusively on Paramount+