CommBank Matildas Head Coach Joe Montemurro said that it was “special” to be in Kenya ahead of the FIFA Series 2026™.
He was speaking alongside midfielder Amy Sayer at the official pre-match press conference as the team prepares to take on Malawi on Saturday.
“It’s a real special moment for us,” he said.
“This is the first time the Matildas have been in an African nation for a tournament. We'd like to thank the Kenyan FA, and FIFA, and everyone for the opportunity. It’s an important opportunity for us, because we're building up for a World Cup next year in June, and these games are going to be valuable for us in the build-up. We’re honoured to be here.”
Sayer echoed the words of her coach, saying that it was exciting to be in Africa for the first time.
“We're all really excited to be here,” she said.
“This is my first time on the African continent, and also my first time playing against an African nation, potentially two. So we’re excited for a new challenge.
“We've had a wonderful welcome from FIFA, from the airport to the hotel and to the training facilities as well. Everything is going well so far, and we're really excited to play and show what we've got.”
Montemurro stressed that the Asian Cup – which concluded on March 21 - was a crucial one for setting the standards for the team going forward.
“The Asian Cup preparation and the way it went was very important for us,” he said.
“We navigated the tournament in the way we felt was important. In a tournament, you're going to get good and bad days – some that are going to work for you, and some that don't. But we were strong enough as a group and as a culture to make sure that we got through that and got the rewards for it.
“We’ve set our standards now out of the Asian Cup, and our standards now to build into next year's World Cup, because the expectation is high for us. It was an important journey for us.”
He said that he was reluctant to call the team favourites heading into the FIFA Series.
“I always look at ‘favourite’ as something for the journalists and for the newspapers and for FIFA rankings,” he said.
“Favourite, on the day, means nothing. That's why these games are very important, because we don't know much about these teams, and that's good. That's good because it's going to be a surprise, and we have to be ready for it. We have to be ready for whatever comes our way.
“We’re not used to these conditions. So it's a very important education for us, for the group, and for individual players. We’re taking this as a stepping stone.
“[The tournament] benefits us, because we probably wouldn't get the opportunity to come to Africa or play an African nation in Africa. We know Malawi are a good team. They have some good players. We know Kenya are a good team, and we know India are a good team. So there's no such thing as favourites in a tournament. It’s about on the day, being prepared for whatever comes.”
Some of the players that might take the pitch are newer to the CommBank Matildas environment. They include first time call-up Leticia McKenna as well as returning players Jessika Nash and Isabel Gomez.
Sayer said that it was important to continue to bring new players into the environment.
“It's really nice to see Izzy, Jess and Leticia in the squad – I’ve played with all three of them,” she said.
“Everyone wants to see the big names play. We love being around them, including myself as a younger player. It's always nice to have their leadership off the field and on the field, and just to have their presence, it brings a sort of calm to the squad.
“But we also have to look towards the future. Joe's done a really good job of blooding a lot of players and bringing in players in different positions, including younger players, stand out A-League players, and also others who have taken the leap to go overseas.
“It’s just about building our national team as a whole. Everyone brings a different skill set, and we will all be looking forward to seeing how they perform on the international stage. There’s no better way to do it than in a FIFA friendly.”
Montemurro said that the team would be focused on themselves ahead of the first game against Malawi.
“How we want to play, how we want to defend, underpins everything,” he said.
“Obviously, we tinker with little bits and pieces in terms of the personnel that we're playing against and the team that we're playing against, but the baseline is always us. It is always the standards we've created, the way we want to play and the way we want to have our identity of football. So that's the most important thing.”
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: 5.30pm local/12.30am AEST
Venue: Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi
TV Broadcast: All CommBank Matildas matches will be broadcast exclusively on Paramount+