Faroe Islands women's national football team

Summary

The Faroe Islands women's national football team represents the Faroe Islands in women's association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association (FSF), the governing body of all football in the Faroe Islands. The FSF became a member of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) in 1988 and Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in 1990. By population, it remains the fourth smallest member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe. The women's team played their first FIFA-sanctioned international match in 1995 and have never advanced to the finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup or UEFA Women's Championship. They took part in the Island Games in 2001, 2003 and 2005 and won all three tournaments, as well as appearing at the 2010 edition of the Algarve Cup. In the Faroe Islands, the team is known as the Kvinnulandsliðið.

Faroe Islands
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Kvinnulandsliðið
(Women's National Team)
AssociationFaroe Islands
Football Association
(FSF)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachSigne Pries Andersen
CaptainÁsla Johannesen
Most capsHeidi Sevdal (82)
Top scorerRannvá B. Andreasen (27)
Home stadiumTórsvøllur
FIFA codeFRO
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 110 Steady (15 March 2024)[1]
Highest60 (June 2009)
Lowest110 (December 2023 – March 2024)
First international
Official
 Faroe Islands 0–2 Republic of Ireland 
(Toftir, Faroe Islands; 24 September 1995)
Unofficial
 Iceland 6–0 Faroe Islands 
(Kópavogur, Iceland; 25 June 1986)
Biggest win
 Faroe Islands 8–0 Andorra 
(Ħamrun, Malta; 6 April 2015)
Biggest defeat
 Faroe Islands 0–13 Norway 
(Tórshavn, Faroe Islands; 8 October 2019)

History edit

 
Faroe Islands national team in 2013

The FSF was founded on 13 January 1979[2] and a women's national league began play in 1985.[3] The first Faroese women's national team games took place in June 1986, with two defeats to Iceland. The matches, a 6–0 defeat at Kópavogsvöllur and a 2–0 defeat at Akranesvöllur, predate the Faroe Islands' membership of FIFA and UEFA but are listed as full internationals at both FIFA.com and the official website of the Football Association of Iceland (KSÍ).[4][5]

The Faroe Islands joined FIFA on 2 July 1988[2] and the male national team played its first official match—a 1–0 defeat against Iceland—on 24 August 1988.[6] Membership of UEFA followed on 18 April 1990 and the Faroe Islands' male team entered its first major international competition later that year: the qualifying rounds for the 1992 UEFA European Football Championship.[2]

A women's team was formed to take part in the 1997 UEFA Women's Championship qualification tournament, which began in September 1995. Páll Guðlaugsson was appointed as coach. The Faroe Islands were competing at class B, in a regionalised group alongside Belgium, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The group winners would not qualify for the final tournament but would play-off against a last placed team from A class for promotion to the higher grade.[7]

The Faroe Islands staged all their home games at the national stadium of the time, Svangaskarð in Toftir. On 24 September 1995 they lost their first ever home match 2–0 to Ireland.[8] The following month, another 2–0 defeat, to Belgium in Brussels, preceded a 7–1 loss in Scotland where Sólvá Joensen scored the team's first ever goal.[9] Two days later, on 25 October 1995, the Faroe Islands beat Wales 1–0 at Farrar Road in Bangor to record their first ever victory. Helga Ellingsgaard scored the decisive goal on 35 minutes,[10] while opposition coach Sue Lopez lamented her team's failure to convert any of their 20 shots at goal.[11]

The next match was a 3–1 defeat in Dublin, Ireland's third goal coming in the last minute. In 1996 the Faroe Islands finished their campaign with three home games, but lost them all. The first, on 18 May 1996, was a 9–0 defeat by group winners Belgium which remained the Faroe Islands' joint record defeat until 2019. Scotland and Wales departed Toftir with 3–0 and 1–0 victories, respectively, as the Faroe Islands finished bottom of the group with three points, having scored three goals and conceded 27.

The FSF scrapped their women's national team after the tournament, as they were unwilling to fund travel to away fixtures. They did enter competitions at youth level, which were not played on a home and away basis but were mini-tournaments staged in a single location to keep costs down.[12]

When the senior women's national team was relaunched in 2004 after an eight-year hiatus, their first match was a 2–1 friendly defeat to Ireland. Irish coach Noel King named an experimental team which lacked his leading players from Arsenal Ladies.[13] The game was staged in Klaksvík on 12 October 2004, the day before the nations' senior men's teams met at Lansdowne Road, Dublin.

In the next match, a return friendly with Ireland at the Oscar Traynor Centre in Dublin, Rannvá B. Andreasen put the Faroe Islands ahead after six minutes. Ireland hit back to win 2–1.

The Faroe Islands' first matches back in UEFA competition came in November 2006, at the UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying series. At a preliminary round mini-tournament held in Strumica, Macedonia, Malena Josephsen's injury time goal in the first match was not enough to avert a 2–1 defeat to Wales. The team was eliminated after another defeat, 1–0 to Kazakhstan. In the final match the Faroe Islands beat hosts Macedonia 7–0 at Stadion Kukuš to record a record win which stood until 2015.

Team image edit

Home stadium edit

The Faroe Islands women's national football team plays their home matches on the Tórsvøllur.

Results and fixtures edit

  • The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Legend

  Win   Draw   Lose   Void or Postponement   Fixture

2023 edit

22 September 2023 (2023-09-22) Nations League C Faroe Islands   0–1   Montenegro Tórshavn
19:00 (18:00 WEST) Report
  • Kuč   21'
Stadium: Tórsvøllur
Referee: Briet Bragadottir (Iceland)
26 September 2023 (2023-09-26) 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League Group C3 Cyprus   1–0   Faroe Islands , Dasaki Achnas
18:00 (19:00 EEST) Violari   65' Report Stadium: Dasaki Stadium
Referee: Maika Vanderstichel (France)
27 October 2023 (2023-10-27) Nations League C Faroe Islands   1–2   Azerbaijan Klaksvík
15:00 (14:00 WEST)
  • Christiansen   83'
Report
Stadium: Við Djúpumýrar
Attendance: 430
Referee: Jelena Jermolajeva (Latvia)
31 October 2023 (2023-10-31) Nations League C Faroe Islands   0–1   Cyprus Tórshavn
18:00 (19:00 EEST) Report
Stadium: Tórsvøllur
Attendance: 530[14]
Referee: Vivian Peeters (Netherlands)
1 December 2023 (2023-12-01) Nations League C Montenegro   9–0   Faroe Islands Podgorica, Montenegro
13:00
Report Stadium: Podgorica City Stadium
Attendance: 75
Referee: Marina Zechner (Austria)
5 December 2023 (2023-12-05) Nations League C Azerbaijan   1–0   Faroe Islands Baku
16:00 (19:00 AZT) Report Stadium: Dalga Arena
Referee: Lovisa Johansson (Sweden)

2024 edit

5 April Euro 2025 qualifying Greece   1–0   Faroe Islands Heraklion
Report Stadium: Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium
Referee: Rita Vehapi (Kosovo)
9 April Euro 2025 qualifying Montenegro   5–1   Faroe Islands Podgorica
Report Stadium: Podgorica City Stadium
Referee: Emily Heaslip (England)

Coaching staff edit

Current coaching staff edit

Position Name Ref.
Head coach   Signe Pries Andersen [15]

Manager history edit

Players edit

Current squad edit

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Óluva Joensen (2002-04-21) 21 April 2002 (age 21) 23 0  
23 1GK Valborg Østerø (2002-08-06) 6 August 2002 (age 21) 4 0   B36
12 1GK Eyðgerð Mikkelsen (2001-02-20) 20 February 2001 (age 23) 3 0   Víkingur

3 2DF Birita Ryan (2002-11-24) 24 November 2002 (age 21) 28 0  
15 2DF Tórunn Joensen (1999-09-27) 27 September 1999 (age 24) 14 0  
11 2DF Sanna Savardal (2001-11-14) 14 November 2001 (age 22) 22 1  
7 2DF Ásla Johannesen (captain) (1996-05-09) 9 May 1996 (age 27) 47 3   Piteå
8 2DF Eyðvør Klakstein (1995-09-05) 5 September 1995 (age 28) 47 1  
4 2DF Lea Lisberg (2002-02-28) 28 February 2002 (age 22) 15 0   Víkingur

21 3MF Rúna Jacobsen (1996-02-05) 5 February 1996 (age 28) 14 1   HB
22 3MF Durita Hummeland (1998-03-21) 21 March 1998 (age 26) 12 0  
6 3MF Heidi Sevdal (1989-03-06) 6 March 1989 (age 35) 82 26   NSÍ
17 3MF Tóra Mohr (1999-04-01) 1 April 1999 (age 25) 14 1  
5 3MF Sunniva Willemoes (2003-09-12) 12 September 2003 (age 20) 8 1   HB
2 3MF Malena Olsen (2004-05-19) 19 May 2004 (age 19) 8 0  
20 3MF Sara Lamhauge (2000-12-19) 19 December 2000 (age 23) 22 0   NSÍ

13 4FW Jensa Tórolvsdóttir (2001-03-08) 8 March 2001 (age 23) 28 3   Víkingur
9 4FW Rebekka Fjallsá Benbakoura (1999-01-05) 5 January 1999 (age 25) 17 0   Kastoria GPO
14 4FW Mona Rasmusdóttir (2001-04-22) 22 April 2001 (age 22) 18 1   Víkingur
10 4FW Fridrikka Clementsen (2003-07-11) 11 July 2003 (age 20) 7 0   HB

Recent call ups edit

  • The following players have been called up to a Faroe Islands squad in the past 12 months.
Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up

DF Sarita Petersen 0 v.   Azerbaijan,5 December 2023
DF Mirjam Huneck 0 v.   Albania,25 February 2024
DF Sára Poulsdóttir Á Líðarenda 0 v.   Albania,25 February 2024

MF Julia Mortensen v.   Azerbaijan,5 December 2023
MF Sara Lamhauge (2000-12-19) 19 December 2000 (age 23) 8 0   HB Tórshavn v.   Azerbaijan,5 December 2023
MF Lena Olsen 0 v.   Azerbaijan,5 December 2023
MF Rúna Olsen 0 v.   Azerbaijan,5 December 2023
MF Margunn Lindholm 0 v.   Albania,25 February 2024
MF Maria Johansen 0 v.   Albania,25 February 2024

MF Margit Magnusdottir 0 v.   Azerbaijan,5 December 2023
FW Sunniva Dal Christiansen v.   Albania,25 February 2024

Former players edit

  • Katrina Akursmørk (2011–2014, 2017– )

Records edit

Individual records edit

Source:[23]

  • Players in bold are still active.

Team records edit

On 28 November 2012 two of the players of the Faroe Islands women's national team set a world record. For the first time ever a parent and child played together in a football match for their country.[24] Bára Skaale Klakkstein has played for many years now on the national team, Eyðvør has played for the U17 and U19 national teams, but on 28 November 2012 both mother and daughter played together in a friendly match against Luxembourg. The Faroe Islands won 6–0. Eyðvør was born on 5 September 1995 and was 17 years old when playing this match which was her first for the national team. The mother, Bára Skaale Klakkstein, was born on 24 March 1973[25] and was 39 years old, when she played the match against Luxembourg. Mother and daughter have played together on the KÍ women's best team since 2010.[26]

Honours edit

Island Games

Women's Baltic Cup

  • Champions: 2016
  • Runners-up: 2021

Competitive record edit

FIFA Women's World Cup edit

FIFA Women's World Cup record Qualification record
Year Result GP W D* L GF GA GD GP W D* L GF GA GD
  1991 to   2011 Did not enter Did not participate
  2015 Did not qualify 13 2 3 8 9 45 −36
  2019 11 3 0 8 10 56 −46
   2023 8 0 0 8 2 56 −54
2027 To be determined To be determined
Total 32 5 3 24 21 157 −136
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

UEFA Women's Championship edit

UEFA Women's Championship record Qualifying record
Year Result GP W D* L GS GA GD GP W D* L GS GA GD
1984 to 1995 Did not enter Did not participate
   1997 Did not qualify 8 1 0 7 3 27 −24
  2001 Did not enter Did not enter
  2005
  2009 Did not qualify 3 1 0 2 8 3 +5
  2013 3 1 0 2 2 2 0
  2017 3 2 0 1 12 4 +8
  2022 7 0 0 7 1 42 −41
  2025 To be determined To be determined
Total 24 5 0 19 26 78 −52
*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

Island Games edit

Island Games record
Year Result GP W D L GS GA
  2001 Champions 4 4 0 0 39 4
  2003 Champions 4 4 0 0 34 2
  2005 Champions 5 5 0 0 33 2
  2007 to present Did not enter
TOTAL 3 Titles 13 13 0 0 106 8

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Faroese future in safe hands". UEFA. 21 February 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  3. ^ Stokkermans, Karel (11 July 2013). "Faroe Islands – List of Women Champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  4. ^ "Fixtures and Results – From 01.01.1986 To 31.12.1986". FIFA. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  5. ^ "Leikskýrsla". Football Association of Iceland. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  6. ^ Courtney, Barrie (16 May 2008). "Faroe Islands – List of International matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  7. ^ Timmermann, Bernd (28 January 2004). "European Women Championship 1995–97". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  8. ^ Josephsen, Malena. "Føroyar – Írland 0 – 2 (0–1)". KÍ – Kvinnur – Online. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  9. ^ Josephsen, Malena. "Skotland – Føroyar 7 – 1 (3–1)". KÍ – Kvinnur – Online. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  10. ^ Josephsen, Malena. "Wales – Føroyar". KÍ – Kvinnur – Online. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  11. ^ Lopez 1997, p. 185
  12. ^ "Interview: Malena Josephsen (KI Klaksvik)". Soccerway. 24 September 2005. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  13. ^ Duret, Sébastien (5 April 2005). "International matches (Women) 2004". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  14. ^ "Faroe Islands v Cyprus" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 31 October 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Lene nýggjur A-landsliðsvenjari". Norðlýsið (in Icelandic). 26 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Álvur gevst sum landsliðsvenjari". fsf.fo. Faroese Football Association. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  17. ^ "Kvinnulandsliðið nýggjar venjarar". fsf.fo. Faroese Football Association. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  18. ^ "Kvinnulandsliðið nýggja avbjóðing". fsf.fo. Faroese Football Association. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  19. ^ Ósá, Jákup (17 January 2019). "John Petersen nýggjur landsliðsvenjari". Norðlýsið (in Icelandic).
  20. ^ New coach for
  21. ^ Eyðgerð avloysir Óluvu
  22. ^ https://my.soccerway.com/matches/2024/04/05/europe/uefa-womens-championship-qualification/greece/faroe-islands/4333760
  23. ^ "Landsliðsleikarar 1995–2013" (in Faroese). Faroe Islands Football Association. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  24. ^ "Sportal.fo, Eyðvør og Bára skrivaðu søgu". Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  25. ^ Bára Skaale Klakkstein on Faroesoccer.com
  26. ^ Faroesoccer.com (chose "Útilið", statistics from one of the 2010 matches where mother and daughter played together).

Bibliography edit

  • Lopez, Sue (1997). Women on the Ball: A Guide to Women's Football. London, England: Scarlet Press. ISBN 1857270169.

External links edit

  • Official website
  • FIFA profile