USWNT to host South Africa for post-World Cup friendlies in Cincinnati and Chicago
CHICAGO – The U.S. Women’s National Team will play its first matches following the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup against South Africa, taking on the Banyana Banyana in Cincinnati at TQL Stadium on Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT, Universo & Peacock) and in Chicago at Soldier Field on Sept. 24 at 4:30 p.m. CT / 5:30 p.m. ET (TNT, Universo & Peacock). Pre-game shows on TNT will begin at 7 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. ET respectively.
Both the USA and South Africa will be coming off participating in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The USA will be making its ninth appearance all-time at the FIFA Women’s World Cup while South Africa is making its second.
South Africa is just one of two African teams the USWNT has faced in its history (with Nigeria being the other) and the September meetings will be just the third and fourth matchups all-time between the two countries. The USA most recently played South Africa in May of 2019, a 2-0 win in Santa Clara, Calif.
“The focus right now is of course on the World Cup, but to get two great matches in our first games back in the USA in two stadiums that are really fun to play in will be awesome for our players and the fans,” said U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski. “South Africa has talented players so I’m sure these will be two entertaining games.”
The match at TQL Stadium marks the USA’s second at the home of FC Cincinnati’s and first since Sept. of 2021 when hometown hero Rose Lavelle scored a goal and had three assists against Paraguay. Aubrey Kingsbury, a goalkeeper on this year’s World Cup Team, also hails from Cincinnati. The USA has a long history at Soldier Field dating back to the original stadium and the USA’s first game there on June 28, 1998, against Germany.
Additional Notes:
- South Africa is in a challenging Group G at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup where it will play Sweden, Italy and Argentina. Like the USA, South Africa will play the entirity of its group stage games in New Zealand.
- While this will be just the second game for the USWNT at TQL Stadium, the home of FC Cincinnati in Major League Soccer, this will be the USNWT’s sixth game all-time in Cincinnati dating back to 1993 when the USA played at now-demolished Galbreath Field, which was a high school football stadium.
- This will be the ninth game for the USWNT at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Fire in MLS.
- The USA has played in the Chicago area, the home base of the U.S. Soccer Federation, many times. The USWNT has also played six games in Bridgeview, Ill, at Toyota Park.
- The USA’s most recent game at Soldier Field was the final game for former head coach Jill Ellis, a 1-1 tie with Korea Republic on Oct. 6, 2019.
- At the World Cup, which is taking place from July 20-Aug. 20 in 10 stadiums across nine host cities — five in Australia and four in New Zealand — the USA will open Group E play against Vietnam on July 22 at Eden Park in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau (1 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET on July 21), which will also serve as the host venue for the Opening Ceremony of the 2023 World Cup on July 20 when New Zealand plays Norway. The USA then faces Netherlands on July 27 at Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara (1 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET on July 26), followed by Portugal on Aug. 1 at Eden Park in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau (7 p.m. local / 3 a.m. ET).
