Olympics
New Zealand star hoping to get sent to Coventry

Buy photos » Aroon Clansey, whose country New Zealand will be playing at the City of Coventry Stadium during the Olympic Games. (s)

AROON Clansey is backing her country New Zealand to secure their first victory in the Olympic Games this summer.

The Football Fearns, as the team is nicknamed, lost all three games in their first Olympics in 2008 in China and this year has been drawn in the same group as Great Britain, Brazil and Cameroon.

Clansey, made the 12,000 mile trip to England earlier this year when she joined Women’s Super League side Liverpool from Australian W-League champions Canberra United.

And the 25-year-old is hoping to be in the New Zealand team who will face Cameroon at the Ricoh Arena on July 31.

"I’ve never been to Coventry before and I’m hoping when the squad is announced in the next month that I am included," said Clansey, who has won five international caps.

"In the last Olympic Games in China we didn’t win a game but we didn’t play too badly. Results-wise the team will be aiming to do better in this tournament.

"We play high up the field and try to cause our opposition as many problems as we can. We try to press them and play the ball around. We have a really fit team and a never-say-die attitude."

For fans going to the game, Clansey has picked out defender Ali Riley and striker Amber Hearn as her country's key players, and said they would need to be at their best if the team was to record that first win.

She added: "African teams are really strong and physical and I guess it will be one of those games where we will be looking to get players in as much as possible and hopefully get a result against Cameroon.

"We know what to expect from Brazil because we have played them a couple of times before and we played England in the last World Cup in Germany when we lost 2-1 but playing Great Britain will be entering the unknown because they will maybe play some different players to normal."

Tickets are still available for the Olympic Football Tournament, including matches in Coventry by visiting tickets.london2012.com. More information on hospitality packages available email loft@ccfc.co.uk

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