Orange draw Wiegmans England, Belgium and Scotland in first Nations League women’s game
NOS Football–
The Dutch national team will take on England, Belgium and Scotland in the first edition of the Women’s Nations League. Those countries came out of the tube Tuesday afternoon in Nyon, Switzerland.
The first edition of the Nations League tournament will start this September. The final round, featuring the winners from the four pools from the highest division, will be played in February 2024. The Netherlands may be among them.
It is possible to relegate and promote from the three “leagues. The number one of the pool goes to the final round, the number three plays playoff duels against relegation and the number four relegates anyway.
The game with England will be a reunion with Sarina Wiegman for Andries Jonker’s team. The former national team coach is currently in charge of the group at the Lionesses, with whom she won the European Championship in the summer of 2022.
“It is very special for all of us to play against Sarina’s England,” national coach Andries Jonker said of them. “We have all the respect for them, but we can win from anyone. So we certainly have no fear of England.”
Playing on the game
The stakes are quite high in this new Nations League. For qualification for the 2025 European Championship in Switzerland, during the draw all Nations League group winners will end up in pot A.
This increases the chances of an easier path to the EC: the numbers one and two qualify for the EC, the number three plays for a playoff ticket.
Also at stake is placement for the Olympic Games in Paris. The two teams that reach the Nations League final will go to France for an Olympic adventure.
The Nations League for men was created in 2018. The Netherlands reached the final in the first edition, in which Portugal was too strong. The tournament was introduced to counter the large amount of friendly duels. This summer, the Netherlands will play the final round at home.
