England may be seen as favourites to win their first Women’s World Cup, but they are not guaranteed to beat Nigeria in the last 16 on Monday, former Lioness Lianne Sanderson said as she highlighted the incredible form of the lower-ranked teams.
England have won all their games so far, including a 6-1 thrashing of China, to top group D. However, their opponents in Brisbane, Nigeria, have played well above their world ranking of 40 and did not lose as they finished second in group B.
Their story is just one of many underdog triumphs in this tournament, with teams like Jamaica, Morocco and South Africa reaching the last 16 for the first time. Meanwhile, two-time champions Germany and Olympic winners Canada have crashed out.
That should make England wary of getting the bunting out just yet, said former striker Sanderson, who scored 15 goals in 50 appearances for the national team.
“The Lionesses, people expect them to win the World Cup just because they won the Euros (2022),” Sanderson, who was part of the England side that finished third at the 2015 World Cup, told Reuters in a Zoom interview.
“People come up to me on the street and say, ‘Lianne, you’re going to win a World Cup’. I’m like, hopefully, but as we know, it doesn’t work like that. You (have to) factor in other nations…
“This World Cup we see is going to be completely different. South Africa are through, Nigeria, the Reggae Girlz (Jamaica) – there’s been incredible stories that don’t usually happen in the women’s game.”
The results are even more incredible given the lack of funding teams like Jamaica have had. The players are in dispute with the Jamaican FA over pay and conditions, and complained about insufficient preparations in the leadup to the global showpiece.
They are not alone in battling for fair compensation, but their strength in not conceding on the pitch goes a long way in showing how mentally tough they are off it, added Sanderson.
“I think with the Reggae Girlz, they’re a real team unit. Sometimes when you go through this type of stuff, it can bring you closer together, it’s sink or swim, isn’t it,” said the 35-year-old, speaking in her role as ambassador for sports drink brand Wow Hydrate.
“I’m just delighted that there’s a lot of eyes on them because they deserve it. They’ve gone there, not even knowing if they’re going to get paid. Not many players that play for major national teams at this tournament would have done that.”
When it comes to England, the ace up their sleeve is the management of Sarina Wiegman.
The Dutchwoman led the Netherlands to the Euro 2017 title and 2019 World Cup final before taking over England in 2021 and transforming their fortunes, leading them to win their first major title at last year’s Euros.
The eye-catching form of England forward Lauren James in Australia and New Zealand, scoring three stunning goals and registering three assists, has come because of Wiegman’s coaching, Sanderson added.
“I always say ‘In Sarina we trust’ and I wish she was the manager and coach when I was there, because I think you’ve only got to look at the way Lauren James has kind of flourished under her,” said the former Arsenal player, who also had stints in Spain, the United States and Italy.
“Sarina Wiegman has a plan A, B, and C. And we’ve seen it’s all about a squad in this tournament. Keira Walsh getting that injury, nobody saw that coming, and then Laura Coombs had to come in after 38 minutes. That’s not an easy thing to do…
“But I think Sarina winning back-to-back European Championships with two different countries, that just shows how good she is… I think she’s a fantastic coach. And I think she is the reason why we will be, and will continue to be, so successful.”
