New Zealand U-20 Women’s World Cup Coach Leaves Due to Health Issues

New Zealand Football has confirmed that head coach Leon Birnie has departed from the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia owing to health reasons.

Assistant coach Maia Vink will now take on the responsibilities of head coach for the remainder of the tournament. The New Zealand team is scheduled to compete against Ghana in their final Group E match on Monday, September 9, 2024, New Zealand Time.

This tournament marks the fourth FIFA event where Birnie has served as head coach for a women’s age group team. His most notable achievement includes leading the team during the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2018, where they achieved a third-place finish, marking Aotearoa New Zealand’s best-ever result in a FIFA tournament.

The upcoming game is set to be held at the Pascual Guerrero Stadium in Cali at 11 am New Zealand Time.