One of the oft-repeated mantras of the Football Australia chief executive, James Johnson, lately is that the Matildas have time. That thanks to automatic qualification as hosts for the 2026 Asian Cup, Australia have plenty of time to find a permanent replacement for former coach Tony Gustavsson.
That the Matildas have time to bounce back from a disappointing Olympic Games and rediscover the sense of joy in their play that waned through that difficult tournament. And that they have plenty of time to build towards their peak for a continental showpiece event on home soil that offers the chance to perhaps not replicate the nation-defining unity that came with the Women’s World Cup but, at least, evoke a sense of nostalgia.
