Victorian rising star looks to break into national team on the eve of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia New Zealand2023™.
The next 12 months will be the most significant in the history of the game in Australia with the Subway Socceroos competing in their fifth consecutive FIFA World Cup in November followed by the Matildas looking to go all the way on home soil.
Melbourne City's Naomi Chinnama said she was hopeful of being named in the Matildas squad ahead of the landmark tournament at Football Victoria’s end-of-season Full-Time Community in Business (CIB) event.
“What can I say, it is definitely one of my aspirations to play in a world cup, especially in the senior team,” she said.
“It is something we should all be looking forward to.”
The defender said she was hoping to gain selection for the world cup on the back of strong domestic form.
“Firstly, we have the upcoming A-League W with Melbourne City, I plan to win that first,” she said.
“With this upcoming A-League season leading into the World Cup I think it is going to be so important for women’s football and just attracting girls to the sport.
“It is a good foundation to be building up from.”
At only 18 years of age, Chinnama has represented Australia on the biggest stage at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica 2022 where she played every minute of all three matches against Costa Rica (in front of 22,000 fans), Brazil, and eventual winners, Spain.
The young defender plies her trade for Melbourne City in the Liberty A-League Women’s where she has played 12 matches.
On the Women In Football panel Chinnama was joined by Football Australia Legacy ’23 Ambassador Azmeena Hussain OAM who said there was “so much” she was looking forward to ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia New Zealand.
“Most of all I am looking forward to seeing that broader participation at games and ensuring we extend the game to people of all ages, all abilities, faiths, and cultures,” she said.
Hussain is a director with FV and social justice advocate who is passionate about empowering young women and girls both on and off the field.
The Legacy ’23 Ambassador said Football should be proud and showcase how it is a leader in the space of inclusion amongst the major sporting codes in the country.
“I think we as a sport do it better than other code (inclusion) and it is something we should really be proud of and showcase,” she said.
“One day when we do host the next women’s world cup here in Australia, I hope we don’t have to have the culturally diverse person, the indigenous person; it is just business as usual.
"We are a modern sport; the eyes of the world will be on us next year and I think we will do a terrific job of showcasing that.”