The Western Sydney Wanderers NPL 1 Women’s side open their account on Sunday against Manly United in what is shaping to be an exciting inaugural season for the Red & Black.
The Western Sydney Wanderers are shaping up for their inaugural season, in what shapes to be an exciting season for the women involved. The Red & Black boast a talented squad heading into the season, with a mix of local talent and players with A-Leagues experience headlining the squad.
Aimee Hall, Talia Kapetanellis, Milly Bennett, Bronte Trew, Milly Cassar, Maya Lobo, Gemma Ferris, Brooklyn Hudson and Sienna Arrarte will be looking to add their A-League experience to an already exciting squad, as they aim to challenge and dethrone current champions Macarthur Rams.
Anika Stajcic joins the Wanderers from the NSW Institute and has shown great promise in the trial matches, scoring five goals in four games leading up to Sunday’s opening round clash against Manly.
Stajcic spent time at Perth Glory and Sydney FC within their A-League Women’s sides, so she will be looking to build on her experiences and capitalise on the opportunity to not just bring her preseason form into this season but also stamp herself as one of the premier attackers of the competition.
The Wanderers Women’s squad also features several Premiership winners including Bronte Trew, Maya Lobo and Angelina Scamardella, all of whom previously played for the Rams.
Alvina Khoshaba, who also joins the Wanderers from the NSW Institute, is one to watch after an impressive 2024. She played a role for the Young Matildas in the U-17 Asian Cup alongside Wanderers superstar Talia Younis last April.
Khoshaba will be looking to build on her positive year, and the Wanderers will undoubtedly benefit from her continued development.
Head Coach Geoff Abrahams will look to have a tough start to the season as the youthful team challenges against the more seasoned sides in the competition. However, once the experienced members of the squad complete their A-League duties, the squad will be bolstered by a host of experience, which will be crucial as they push towards securing a Finals berth.
The journey begins on Sunday against Manly United at Wanderers Football Park.
Manly finished last season in ninth place and come into the season on the back of three consecutive losses.
Tom Hopley will be facing a relatively unknown challenge, making it a test of whether their defense has improved from last season. One of their biggest struggles was keeping teams at bay, as they finished the season with just six clean sheets from twenty-six games.
Western Sydney Wanderers Squad: Aimee Hall, Jasmine Selva, Zoe Edwards, Talia Kapetanellis, Milley Bennet, Bronte Trew, Milly Cassar, Anika Stajcic, Nikkita Fazzari, Maya Lobo, Gemma Ferris, Siena Arrarte, Olivia Vanderlaan, Amy Barker, Brooklyn Hudson, Estella Cameron, Alvina Koshaba, Chelsea Barton, Catalina Wrzynski, Miriam Zumaya, Lauren Nada, Angelina Scamardella, Tahlia Voskanian, Christa Oliva, Shereen Karnib, Arddun Surjan, Ava D’Costa, Jade O’Brien, Izzy Wilson, Izzy Sultan, Romany Janssens, Alyssa Mckenzie, Hope Cleur
Western Sydney Wanderers v Manly United
Sunday 9 March 2025
Wanderers Football Park, 5pm
