CommBank Matildas Head Coach Joe Montemurro said that the team’s 5-0 win against Malawi on Saturday was an important one for the game’s growth.
He was speaking to media in Nairobi alongside midfielder Alex Chidiac after the team’s opening victory in the FIFA Series 2026™.
“We don't get to play a lot of African teams, so it was very important for us to play our football against a very unpredictable side, and a team that had some very good talent,” he said.
“It was good to see that we kept to our way of playing, and we got the result. That's what we're here for. We're here to simulate difficult conditions, to simulate hostile crowds, to simulate different things that we don't get in Asia or in Australia. The bigger the challenge, the more we learn and understand what it's all about.”
He said that he was excited to take on hosts Kenya in game two on Wednesday.
“We hope there's 18 to 20,000 people, and a very parochial and hostile crowd. That’s good for us,” he said.
He also hoped that the tournament could help grow women’s football in Africa.
“For me, African Women's Football is the big sleeping giant,” he said.
“There’s a lot of talent. I’ve coached a lot of African players in my clubs in Europe, and the talent is incredible. It's now all about infrastructure and processes and organisation.
“We want to be able to help the game grow. Because by seeing what other clubs do and what other organisations do and what other federations do, we all grow together. There's massive opportunities.”
Chidiac stressed this series was important preparation ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™.
“We were playing with altitude, which was different conditions for us,” she said.
“This is the lead up to a World Cup, and playing against African nations is going to help us prepare. We got the result today, so it was really good.”
She echoed the thoughts of her coach in wanting to use the tournament to highlight the talent in African women’s football.
“For us to be able to see the football culture here as well, and see the standards and see the talent, it just builds the game everywhere, and hopefully brings a spotlight to the talent that there is in Africa,” she said.
“We've got amazing talent in Australia, and a lot of people know us. There’s not a lot of people that know the African talent, and there's clearly a lot of talent here. The series highlights that, and it's also a really good challenge for us.”
Having these games in Kenya is particularly special for Alex Chidiac, who has been supporting an organisation called Moving the Goalposts for the past eight years.
The program is based in Kilifi, a coastal town in Kenya several hours away from Nairobi, and seeks to empower girls and young women through football. Chidiac dedicated her goal celebration to members of the organisation who had travelled from Kilifi to watch.
“I got to catch up with a few of the players yesterday,” she recalled.
“It’s just amazing to see that connection and what we've been able to build over the years, and the support. We're looking to work on a few more community things that we can do together.
“I think it was the team’s first professional game that they got to see. So it is really special. I got to be on the field as well and share that with them.
“I can't wait to play Kenya on the final day.”
WOMEN’S FIFA SERIES 2026- KENYA
Match Three:
Malwi v India
Date: Wednesday 15 April 2026
Kick-off: 2.00pm local/9.00pm AEST
Venue: Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi
Match Four:
Kenya vs Australia
Date: Wednesday 15 April 2026/Thursday 16 April 2026 AEST
Kick-off: 5.30pm local/12.30am AEST
Venue: Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi
TV Broadcast: All CommBank Matildas matches will be broadcast exclusively on Paramount+