29 Nov 2018

Live: FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup - NZ v Spain

9:56 am on 29 November 2018

Women's football: The U-17 New Zealand footballers meet Spain in the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Uruguay. Follow live updates with Jeremy Rees.

Today's match is a special moment in New Zealand football history - it's the first time a New Zealand team has made the semi-final of a world cup.

New Zealand are significant underdogs in this match but it doesn't appear to have deterred them given they've been the underdogs for each of their matches so far.

In their first match they upset Finland one-nil then beat hosts Uruguay two-one. That win over Uruguay guaranteed them a spot in the quarter-finals but they still had to play their last pool match against Ghana which they lost two-nil.

Finishing second in their group, New Zealand faced Japan in the quarter-finals. Japan had one win and two draws in their pool matches but still went into the match as favourites. It didn't stop New Zealand though, who won on penalties in dramatic fashion when the goal keeper Anna Leat scored the match winner off the final kick.