AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AFP) — Hannah Wilkinson scored the only goal as co-hosts New Zealand recorded a historic 1-0 victory over Norway in the opening game of the Women’s World Cup on Thursday.
It was the country’s first-ever win at the World Cup and came in front of more than 42,000 in Auckland, the biggest crowd in New Zealand football history.
It capped a day that started when New Zealand’s largest city was shaken in the morning by a shooting that left two victims and the gunman dead, the incident happening in a downtown area close to where several World Cup teams, including Norway, are staying.
The country’s prime minister, Chris Hipkins, attended the match alongside International Football Federation president Gianni Infantino at Eden Park, where a moment’s silence was held in memory of those killed.
The Football Ferns, who are co-hosting the first 32-team Women’s World Cup along with Australia, were not overawed by the occasion as they went on to claim a deserved success thanks to Wilkinson’s early second-half goal.
New Zealand had not won any of their 15 previous matches across five previous appearances at the tournament and had set ending that dreadful record as their modest objective this time.
They duly did so against the former World Cup winners, to the delight of a near sell-out crowd of 42,137 fans, a national record for any football match in the country, men’s or women’s.
indy evening would even have been greater had Ria Percival not missed a late penalty.
Qualifying for the knockout stages from Group A may now be a realistic aim, with Switzerland and minnows, the Philippines, as their other opponents.
Norway, whose squad was woken early by a helicopter and emergency vehicles responding to the shooting just meters away from their hotel, was disappointed.
Wearing all black at the home of the country’s all-conquering rugby union team, New Zealand had been the better side in the first half without creating anything to seriously trouble Norway goalkeeper Aurora Mikalsen.
