Three Wellington Phoenix players have been named in the Football Ferns for their final internationals of 2025.
CJ Bott, who captained the Phoenix women in their season opener last weekend, experienced goalkeeper Victoria Esson and rookie fullback Lara Wall have been selected in the Ferns for two matches against the Matildas in Australia.
Bott has 50 senior caps, but last played for New Zealand at last year’s Paris Olympics and was a late withdrawal from the national squad for last month’s internationals against Mexico and the USA.
Esson (31 caps) was in goal for all three matches last month, while Wall made her debut in the defeat to the USA after receiving her maiden call-up to the Ferns as a replacement for Bott.
The trio will leave Wellington after the Phoenix’s round four Ninja A-League match against Melbourne Victory at Porirua Park on Sunday week and will rejoin the Nix ahead of the team’s first road match of the season against Melbourne City on Sunday, December 7.
The first trans-Tasman international will be played at polytec Stadium in Gosford on Friday, November 28, with the second match at Coopers Stadium in Adelaide on the following Tuesday night (December 2).
Both matches will be broadcast live and free on FIFA+.
