CommBank Matildas Head Coach Joe Montemurro said that the upcoming FIFA Series 2026™ in Kenya is about laying the groundwork for the next 12 months.
He was speaking after the 22-player squad was announced for the window that starts on Tuesday, 7 April.
“The evolution going forward is going to be very important in regard to having the players that are prepared for a big tournament like the World Cup,” he explained.
“Some of [what we are working on] is going to be structural in terms of starting to work on some ideas that I think are going to be very important. Combinations and patterns are going to be big in how we solidify the squad. But also, players that are going to be in good shape going forward – we have to make sure that they're playing at the highest level and still being able to perform at that level.
“In the first three camps, and then leading into the new year, we want to say: ‘Okay, well, we're starting to solidify where we're heading for the next one.’ So there will be some adjustments, but that has to happen organically to make sure that we're focusing on who we are and what we want to do.”
Nineteen members of the squad who were involved in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ are headed to Kenya, with Montemurro explaining the importance of consistency in his selections.
“Continuity is the most important thing,” he said.
“We are able to continue doing what we're doing against different oppositions. We know the African nations have a lot of talent, a little bit more unpredictable at times. We need that. We need that tough sort of scenario.
“It’s really important that we've set the base for continuity going forward and for me to make the relative adjustments, and for me to see the combinations that I'm looking for, and for me to prepare for the tournament, the World Cup, we have to do it through the benchmark that we've set.
“So, it was strategic to bring the bulk of the squad back.”
Leticia McKenna, Izzy Gomez and Jess Nash were the three players brought into the squad who were not involved in the Asian Cup. McKenna will become CommBank Matilda #243 if she plays in the window.
“The midfield area is one where we are looking at, in regards to finding those players that are of a modern sense in terms of [they are] explosive, technically good with the ball and very good in positioning, but also can break lines and make runs,” he said.
“With Izzy [Gomez] especially, we felt that she's a player who can break the lines going forward. Leticia, I have watched her over the last six months. She’s another one that we believe can work in between the lines and be quite comfortable on the ball, and can take [her game to] the next level, and does already play at a high level in terms of rhythm and in terms of game tempo.
“I am really excited to see them in international football environments… we just need to find a high-level continuity for them to be exposed to, to do it more, so that when big tournaments come around, they're able to adapt to the situations.”
He said he was expecting high-level, unpredictable games from the window.
“We expect tough games,” he said,
“It’s really important that we have some opposition that we don't know much about. There is a bit of unpredictability for us to benchmark what we're doing.”
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+
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+