Matildas great Sarah Walsh says injury returns for Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler can turbocharge Women’s Asian Cup

Matildas great Sarah Walsh says a fit and firing Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler are vital ingredients not just for Australia’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup hopes, but a successful tournament. With the dust having settled from this week’s group stage draw, preparations can properly begin for next March’s tournament in Australia, which will open with the Matildas taking on the Philippines at Optus Stadium. Seven months out from the opening game, Kerr is still yet to play after tearing her ACL in January 2024, although there are reports she is finally nearing a return to the pitch. And earlier this week, Matildas coach Joe Montemurro revealed Fowler, who also suffered a torn ACL in April, was progressing well and could complete a startling seven-month recovery with would make her available for the tournament. Walsh, who is the local organising committee’s chief operating officer for the Women’s Asian Cup, said the twin recoveries would turbocharge the tournament. “It is so important, and it goes beyond Australia. We want each of the teams to have full access to their top talent and there’s no better talent than Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler,” Walsh told The West Australian.. “The runway that we have works for both of them, everything that I’m hearing from the national teams.” With squad extended to 26 players for the tournament, Walsh said that would also work in their favour. “It gives them every chance to one, be selected, but two, gives them the time if needed to make a late run in the tournament. “Sam Kerr is Perth’s hero, I’d absolutely love for her to be there at the first match.” The last time the Matildas played at Optus Stadium, they beat the Philippines 8-0 and Walsh said it was a fitting location to kick-off Australia’s campaign before they headed over east. “We know what that stadium looks like with 60,000 fans in it. I suspect that we’re going to have a lot more Filipino fans attending,” she said. “It’s a tough first match for Australia, then they head over to Gold Coast to play Iran, and then a blockbuster in Sydney on International Women’s Day against Korea Republic. “That’s a fantastic match-up, but all eyes are on Perth for the opening.” The tournament will arrive very quickly for new Matildas coach Montemurro, who held his first camp in WA last month but has only two international windows and four games to prepare his squad. Walsh said she was confident the decorated coach, who has won silverware at Arsenal, Juventus and Olympique Lyonnais, would have his team firing on all cylinder when March rolled around. “There’s not a lot of time to be able to work with his team off the pitch, but I think one of the advantages he has is he knows many of the senior players, so he will calibrate very quickly and hopefully that filters down to the young players.”