Epakis names CommBank Young Matildas squad for upcoming training camp

CommBank Young Matildas Head Coach Alex Epakis has settled on a 32-player squad for a domestic training camp to be held in Sydney from Monday, 23 June to Wednesday, 2 July 2025.

The camp forms a crucial part of the team’s preparations for the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Thailand 2026™ Qualifiers this August, where Australia will face Tajikistan, Palestine, and Chinese Taipei in Group C. All matches will take place at Pamir Stadium in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, with qualification offering a pathway to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026™.

Members selected for this training camp have been identified based on strong performances throughout the 2024/25 Ninja A-League Women’s season, as well as standout showings in the National Premier Leagues competitions and state-based development programs. 

The squad brings together a diverse mix of established talent at the U-20 age group and further identified prospects, reflecting the continually growing depth of Australia’s national youth development pipeline.  2024/25 Ninja A-League Young Footballer of the Year, Indi Dos Santos will miss the camp following recent news of her knee injury.  

Epakis emphasised that the camp would serve as both a tactical preparation and a development touchpoint.

“It’s a really important chance for us to come together as a group before a big few weeks ahead,” Epakis said. “We’ve got a great mix of players with some who’ve been here before and some new faces.

“The ten-day camp will allow us to continue building on the foundation of our culture, working with individuals and the team to further utilise our playing strengths, and refining the team’s style of play heading into August. With qualification just weeks away, the squad will train in a high-performance environment mirroring international standards.

“Every player in this squad has earned their spot through what they’ve shown at club level through the Ninja A-League or the NPL.  It really speaks to the strength of our domestic network and the coaches and support staff who are helping these players grow every week.

“There’s healthy competition for spots, and that’s exactly what we want at this stage.  The camp will not only help finalise our approach to the qualifiers, but also reinforce the high-performance expectations required at international level,” he concluded.  

The ten-day camp will focus on team cohesion, fitness benchmarks, and refining the team’s style of play. With qualification just weeks away, the squad will train in a high-performance environment mirroring international standards.

The AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers will kick off on Wednesday, 6 August 2025, with Australia opening its campaign against host nation Tajikistan, before facing Palestine on 8 August and Chinese Taipei on 10 August.