New Zealand beat Norway to win opening Women's World Cup match | OneFootball

Co-hosts New Zealand won their first ever Women’s World Cup match on Thursday as they beat Norway 1-0 in the opening game of the 2023 tournament.

Scorers: Wilkinson 48′

New Zealand have been perennial underachievers at the Women’s World Cup having become the first side ever to play 15 games without a win.

They were looking to change that record on Thursday though as they hosted a Norway side aiming to go better than their quarter-final appearance last time out.

But it was an incredibly nip-and-tuck first half with the home side slightly edging proceedings.

The Football Ferns never troubled Aurora Mikalsen in the Norway goal but looked dangerous going in behind whilst Ada Hegerberg failed to show her class in the final third.

But immediately after the break, New Zealand took the lead.

A neat move down the right-hand side saw Hannah Wilkinson with space inside the area and she cooly slotted home for the opening goal of the tournament.

It was almost two on the hour mark as Mikalsen produced a brilliant save from Indiah-Paige Riley’s rasping effort.

Looking down the barrel of an opening defeat, Norway finally got their act together and decided to play.

And they almost equalised late on as Guro Reiten chipped an effort towards goal that crashed back off the crossbar.

The result should have been secured late on as Rea Percival earned a penalty but she fired her shot against the post.