Dunedin fans determined to outdo Eden Park in support for Football Ferns

Dunedin football fans are fizzing ahead of hosting the Football Ferns' crucial showdown against Switzerland this Sunday.

The match will make or break the home team's hopes to make the knockout round of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

With Forsyth Barr Stadium sold out, supporters are keen to raise the roof with their cheers.

Across the road from one of the training grounds, pupils at Tahuna Normal Intermediate School were getting excited to see the Football Ferns in town. Twelve-year-old Abbi was going to the game with her family.

"It's pretty cool and exciting and getting all ramped up for it. It's quite a big deal here cos we don't get much stuff like that happening around."

She wanted to see lots of passing and team spirit. She was a keen footballer, and could no't wait to critique the game.

"I play left wing, and I like football just because I like kicking the ball around. My brother probably got me into it 'cause I watched him play so much and I got bored on the sideline. I wanted to join in."

Year 8 pupil Darragh said football has always been in his life.

"Whenever like the team gets the ball and they're attacking, everyone's cheering. It's really cool to watch."

He was glad Ōtepoti was hosting such an important decider.

"It will be pretty intense, like to see how it goes."

Twelve-year-old Lucie likes to play right wing or striker.

"I think when I was little I liked kicking the ball around, so my Mum and Dad just told me to get into it."

She wanted to see plenty of goals on Sunday.

"It's pretty cool to see lots of footballers in the women's team from all over the country and watching it too."

Southern Football girls and women's development officer Jessica Fuller as a keen Football Ferns fan. The Ferns had already done Aotearoa proud, she said.

"I am super excited. It's not often we hold football games in Dunedin, so to be able to welcome the Football Ferns to Dunedin and see them possibly take on what's going to be a very important game is just super exciting.

"I was lucky enough to be in Eden Park last week and that was electric. Even though the result didn't go our way in Wellington, you could hear the crowd get in behind them."

Southern Football had more than 1600 women and girl footballers registered, from Geraldine to the deep south. Fuller was hopeful that would only grow now that more people have been able to watch world-class football live.

"It's huge. It gives that visibility. At our programmes like Fantails for the five- to 12-year-old girls, we're constantly telling about the Football Ferns and their journey.

"But the girls never get to see them, so to be able to see them on their doorstep gives that sense of visibility and purpose. It's just super exciting and I can't wait for Sunday."

She wanted supporters to cheer loud and proud.

"I really want us to be the loudest stadium... I'm definitely going to be cheering them on, probably a bit too loud. I feel sorry for anyone sitting in front of me.

"But I do believe that Dunedin on a good day, doesn't matter what the weather's like, we'll come out and we'll come out cheering and roaring. We'll give Eden Park a run for their money in terms of electric atmosphere."

The Dunedin City Council's events team leader, Dan Hendra, has spent the last two years working towards hosting the Women's World Cup.

"New Zealand has won one, lost one, and this is the decider, and it's a decider against the base team camp in Dunedin as well. So the Swiss have been here for a number of weeks now and so we've kind of brought them into our whānau, and what a great match. What a great decider down here."

The city's Last Mile Walk to the stadium will leave the Octagon at 5pm on Sunday, with the route featuring entertainers. It was a special part of the experience, as the Dutch fans recently found out, he said.

"They had probably about 1000 people walk in the rain. They were committed, which is awesome. The energy and the passion that they had was just fantastic so we expect something like this, given it is Swiss versus New Zealand. Maybe even more than that, we'll see. The weather is looking amazing."

For those who did not get a ticket, there will be a special screening of the New Zealand-Switzerland game at the free FIFA fan festival in the central city on Sunday, along with entertainment including the Topp Twins.