The New Zealand women's football side is back in the international wilderness with no more games confirmed for the rest of the year.
Football Ferns 2016. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
In their first outing since the Olympics, the Football Ferns finished ninth at the 12-team Cyprus Cup tournament following a 3-1 win over Hungary, their only success of the tournament.
The Ferns have nothing confirmed for the rest of the year, with their long term goal to qualify for the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics.
Coach Tony Readings says they've grown some depth during this tournament, but they now need more matches to make the most of that.
"We go away from the tournament now knowing that we have a lot more depth and a lot more competition for places which is what we have lacked in the past. So in that regard the tour was a real success."
"The ideal for us is we get some games in June, and at least another tour before the end of the year because we have grown a lot over the last two weeks and we need to keep that cohesion going and this momentum going and we can only really do that if we're playing games.
Readings will have up to fifteen players based overseas now, while the rest will continue to train in Auckland.
Before the Cyprus Cup, captain Abbey Erceg announced she was retiring from the international game as the women's game in New Zealand lacked support from the governing body.
