CommBank Matildas forward Remy Siemsen said that she was honoured to be part of a special squad that is set to take part in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ on home soil.
The tournament kicks off in Perth on Sunday, March 1, when the CommBank Matildas play the Philippines in the opening match.
Siemsen recounted her emotions when she received the phone call from Head Coach Joe Montemurro that she would be in the final 26-player squad.
“The whole lead-up to that call from Joe was just pure anxiety,” she recalled.
“I didn't know which way it was going to go. You obviously expect the worst, so I was pretty stressed leading into that call. Once Joe confirmed that I made the squad, I was so relieved and so happy, and I was just over the moon.”
She said she was so concerned that she called over her best friend and teammate, Courtney Nevin, to be with her for the key moment.
“I made Nevin stay over at my house in Sweden,” she laughed.
“Thankfully, she only lives 10 minutes away, but I needed an emotional support person to stay with me and lead me into that phone call. So thank you to Nevin for being my best mate and being there for me, because otherwise it would have been a stressful 24 hours.
“I actually had the best sleep of my life after the call!”
At the previous major tournament on home soil – the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ - Siemsen narrowly missed out after being part of the 30-player extended squad in the lead up to the event.
“That was pretty heartbreaking,” she expressed.
“So to be able to play in a major tournament on home soil is something really special to me, and I'm really honoured and privileged to be a part of this squad. I feel like it's a really special squad, and hopefully we can go all the way and lift silverware at the end of it.”
Siemsen was one of the first arrivals in camp in Perth, and said that the first few days are all about stretching out the legs and getting used to Australian conditions.
“It wasn't a long one, but we all felt it from that long haul flight,” she said, describing the first session of camp.
“It’s just nice to be outside in the sunshine, and getting used to the jet lag and adjusting back to Australian time zones.”
The goal for the group, Siemsen explained, is a relatively simple one – silverware.
“It feels like it's a long time coming. We've been preparing for this tournament for a while, so it's really exciting to be here, and exciting that it's only a week away,” she said.
“That’s the main goal for us, to be lifting that silverware and winning this tournament. So for me personally, it's just to play my best football and really enjoy this time, really relishing this opportunity and this experience, and just hope to play some good football with my teammates.”
AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™
CommBank Matildas v Philippines
Date: Sunday, 1 March 2026
Venue: Perth Stadium, Perth
Time: 5:00pm AWST/8:00pm AEDT
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IR Iran v CommBank Matildas
Date: Thursday, 5 March 2026
Venue: Gold Coast Stadium, Gold Coast
Time: 7:00pm AEST/8:00pm AEDT
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CommBank Matildas v Korea Republic
Date: Sunday, 8 March 2026
Venue: Stadium Australia, Sydney
Time: 8:00pm AEDT
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