Tournament co-hosts New Zealand were knocked out of the Fifa Women’s World Cup as Switzerland got the draw they needed to advance as Group A winners.
Jacqueline Hand hit the post for New Zealand but they could not get the win they needed to stay in the competition.
They become the first host nation to fail to make it past the group phase.
It was a tame and disappointing end to the tournament for New Zealand, who had beaten Norway 1-0 in the World Cup’s opening match.
A shock 1-0 loss on Tuesday in Wellington against the Philippines, the lowest ranked nation in Group A, left New Zealand’s qualification in the balance, although their fate was still in their hands before their final match in Dunedin.
But, in a game they needed to win, they failed to have a single shot on target in the opening 70 minutes against Switzerland.
With the Europeans themselves only one goal away from elimination, it became tight and tense with neither side able to create many clear-cut opportunities.
Tearful and disappointing end to New Zealand’s campaign
A number of New Zealand players were in tears at the final whistle, with their team eliminated on goal difference.
This was the country’s sixth appearance at a Women’s World Cup, but they had not won any of their previous 15 matches before Hannah Wilkinson scored the only goal in their 2023 opener as they beat Norway in front of a crowd of 42,137.
But the loss to the Philippines, a side ranked 20 places below them, was the one that proved crucial.
New Zealand, 26th in the world, did not give their supporters much to cheer about against Switzerland as they had to wait until the 74th minute to see the hosts have their first shot on target – a weak effort from Malia Steinmetz straight at Swiss goalkeeper Gaelle Thalmann.
The Football Ferns then had a tame header on target from Claudia Bunge, before eight minutes of injury time.
New Zealand goalkeeper Victoria Esson went up for a corner and two free-kicks, getting her head on one of the free-kicks, only to send her effort well off target.
But the hosts could not get a goal as Switzerland hung on to move into the last 16 for the second time, after also doing so in their previous appearance in 2015.
They will play the runners-up in Group C, the losers of Monday’s Spain v Japan game, in the first of the knockout matches on Saturday, 5 August.
Player of the match
LehmannAlisha Lehmann
Switzerland
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Squad number23Player nameLehmann
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Squad number1Player nameThalmann
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Squad number13Player nameWälti
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Squad number5Player nameMaritz
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Squad number16Player nameMauron
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Squad number19Player nameAigbogun
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Squad number11Player nameSow
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Squad number18Player nameCalligaris
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Squad number8Player nameRiesen
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Squad number10Player nameBachmann
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Squad number6Player nameReuteler
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Squad number17Player namePiubel
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Squad number2Player nameStierli
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Squad number9Player nameCrnogorcevic
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Squad number22Player nameTerchoun
New Zealand
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Squad number16Player nameHand
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Squad number14Player nameBowen
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Squad number13Player nameStott
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Squad number21Player nameEsson
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Squad number4Player nameBott
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Squad number6Player nameSteinmetz
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Squad number7Player nameRiley
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Squad number10Player nameLongo
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Squad number12Player nameHassett
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Squad number17Player nameWilkinson
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Squad number11Player nameChance
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Squad number9Player nameRennie
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Squad number3Player nameBunge
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Squad number20Player nameRiley
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Squad number2Player namePercival
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Squad number18Player nameJale
Line-ups
Switzerland
Formation 4-3-2-1
- 1Thalmann
- 19Aigbogun
- 5Maritz
- 2Stierli
- 8Riesen
- 11Sow
- 13Wälti
- 6ReutelerSubstituted forLehmannat 71′minutes
- 17PiubelSubstituted forCalligarisat 85′minutes
- 10BachmannSubstituted forMauronat 85′minutes
- 9CrnogorcevicSubstituted forTerchounat 90+4′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Marti
- 4Felber
- 7Arfaoui
- 12Peng
- 14Rey
- 16Mauron
- 18Calligaris
- 20Humm
- 21Friedli
- 22Terchoun
- 23Lehmann
New Zealand
Formation 4-4-2
- 21Esson
- 4Bott
- 13StottSubstituted forBungeat 62′minutes
- 14Bowen
- 7Riley
- 10LongoSubstituted forHassettat 62′minutes
- 6Steinmetz
- 2PercivalSubstituted forJaleat 72′minutes
- 11ChanceSubstituted forRileyat 45′minutes
- 16Hand
- 17WilkinsonSubstituted forRennieat 82′minutes
Substitutes
- 1Nayler
- 3Bunge
- 5Foster
- 8Cleverley
- 9Rennie
- 12Hassett
- 15Satchell
- 18Jale
- 19Anton
- 20Riley
- 22Clegg
- 23Leat
- Referee:
- Tori Penso
- Attendance:
- 25,947
Live Text
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Match ends, Switzerland 0, New Zealand 0.
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Second Half ends, Switzerland 0, New Zealand 0.
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Attempt blocked. Malia Steinmetz (New Zealand) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Foul by Coumba Sow (Switzerland).
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Betsy Hassett (New Zealand) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Attempt missed. Victoria Esson (New Zealand) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Katie Bowen with a cross following a set piece situation.
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Foul by Meriame Terchoun (Switzerland).
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Catherine Bott (New Zealand) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Alisha Lehmann (Switzerland).
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Katie Bowen (New Zealand) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Substitution, Switzerland. Meriame Terchoun replaces Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic.
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Corner, New Zealand. Conceded by Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic.
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Sandrine Mauron (Switzerland) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Gabi Rennie (New Zealand).
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Attempt saved. Coumba Sow (Switzerland) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic.
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Attempt saved. Jacqui Hand (New Zealand) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Grace Jale.
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Substitution, Switzerland. Sandrine Mauron replaces Ramona Bachmann.
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Substitution, Switzerland. Viola Calligaris replaces Seraina Piubel.
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Foul by Coumba Sow (Switzerland).
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Claudia Bunge (New Zealand) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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