The Matildas are aiming for an overdue victory to ease the noise around coach Tony Gustavsson when they take on South Africa in London.
Australia have lost three and drawn one of their last four matches and have only beaten New Zealand since crashing out of the Asian Cup at the quarter-final stage in January.
With a home-hosted World Cup only 10 months away, pressure is building on the Swedish coach to show he is developing a team that can at least match the semi-final placing achieved at the Tokyo Olympics.
At this stage of the cycle, coaches are usually more focused on performances than results, but Gustavsson recognises he needs a victory at Kingsmeadow, the south-west London home of Sam Kerr's Chelsea Women, in Saturday's international [2230, AEDT].
"The result matters in terms of getting momentum," he said.
"Internally for confidence for the players, but more for outside. We want everybody back home - fans, media, stakeholders - saying, 'you know what: we believe in this team'.
"Internally, both the federation and the players, they know what we have done and why the results have been what they have been.
"There is an understanding - the tough schedule, amount of debutants, amount of players unavailable for camps. I'm not making excuses, I take responsibility as coach, I'm trying to explain the journey."
With a win paramount, South Africa appear ideal opponents. They have the stature of being African champions, but are understrength and well below Australia in the world rankings (54th, 42 places below the Matildas).
With a tricky fixture away in Denmark to follow on Tuesday [0300 Wednesday, AEDT], this match presents the best chance of that elusive victory.
But Gustavsson cautioned against taking too much notice of South Africa's ranking.
"It is dangerous to think it will be an easy game. They led Spain until the 70th minute in the [2019] World Cup, they won the African Nations, they have players with individual qualities," he said.
With Kyah Simon added to an Australian injury list that also features Alanna Kennedy and Ellie Carpenter, Gustavsson is again going to play some young players, but hopes to be able to reduce rotation and experimentation as the World Cup nears.
South Africa are even more depleted, for a variety of reasons, and have fewer options in reserve.
"We are missing quite a number of players, we need other players to put their hand up," coach Desiree Ellis said.
The absentees include US-based striker Thembi Kgatlana (injured), African goalkeeper of the year Andile Diamini (bereavement) and co-captain Refiloe Jane, who plays in Italy's Serie A (visa difficulties).
Banyana Banyana still have an attacking threat led by South Korea-based Hilda Magaia, who scored both goals when they beat hosts Morocco to win the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in July.
Yet Ellis acknowledged the game's star striker is Australian. "We are playing a top striker in Sam Kerr. Everything they do revolves around her, we have to stop them from playing," she said.
That is easier said than done, especially at Kingsmeadow.
While anything other than a Matildas victory will be a disappointment - and raise the volume on the debate around Gustavsson's tenure - a convincing win would change the mood.
The Swede admitted he watched England win the Euros here and thought what it could be like at the World Cup with Australia.
Quietening the criticism would move that daydream a step closer to reality.
