Wales Women look for historic win over Switzerland
Gemma Grainger's side have their sights on a place at the 2023 World Cup finals
Wales women are hoping to make history tonight by securing their place at their first ever Women's World Cup.
They need a win against Switzerland in Zurich.
Boss Gemma Grainger says she wants her side to be alongside Wales' men playing on the world stage.
She's described Rob Page's side as a 'huge inspiration'.
Wales, who were watched by a record crowd of 15,200 as they beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in Cardiff on Thursday evening to set up their clash with the Swiss, have never before qualified for a major tournament.
Boss Grainger said: “It’s been a huge inspiration for us, Rob and the team, and seeing them working and how they have created history themselves to put Wales on the world stage. It’s something that we want to be right alongside them with.
“I’m looking forward to heading to the World Cup in Qatar later in the year and I’m hopeful that we can continue to work in that way, that we both inspire each other.
“I have a very close relationship with Rob, it’s a brilliant working relationship and it very much sums up our association in terms of we are together and we’ll make sure we keep pushing to grow the game together.”
Grainger is acutely aware of the opportunity within her side’s grasp, despite the fact that even victory at the Stadion Letzigrund over the highest ranked of the remaining World Cup hopefuls may not hand them their golden ticket.
Only two of the three play-off final winners – Scotland host the Republic of Ireland and Iceland travel to Portugal – will progress automatically on the basis of their qualification records, with the third facing an inter-confederation shoot-out in New Zealand in February.
A philosophical Grainger, who has no fresh fitness concerns, said: “We want to make sure we can be in a position where you want to talk to me about the ‘What next?’ after the game on Tuesday evening, and that’s when we will look at it as a group if that is the situation.
“If we’re successful tomorrow evening, it would be an incredibly proud moment and, if we’re not, it would be an incredibly proud moment because we’re right on track for where this team wants to be, and that’s competing with the best teams in the world.”