Austria Women Suffer Setback in Slovenia, Face Tough Road to World Cup Qualification

Koper, Slovenia – Austria’s hopes of reaching the Women’s World Cup suffered a blow Saturday with a 1-0 defeat to Slovenia in a qualifying match played under foggy conditions at the Bonifika Stadium. The result leaves the ÖFB-Frauen with zero points after two rounds of Group A4 play, setting up a challenging double-header against group favorites Germany next month.

The match, originally scheduled for a later kickoff, was moved forward two hours due to anticipated heavy fog. Conditions were indeed tricky at the 5:00 PM local time (16:00 UTC) start, with a dense mist hanging over the pitch. Austria head coach Alexander Schriebl made three changes to the starting lineup following the 0-1 loss to Norway, bringing Nicole Billa back into the squad for the first time in a year and a half.

Early Setback Sets the Tone

Slovenia struck early, taking the lead in the 21st minute through Zara Kramzar. The goal stemmed from a quick counter-attack, with Kramzar reacting faster than the Austrian defense to a cross and finishing with a composed strike. The early concession visibly impacted the Austrian side, hindering their attempts to implement their planned pressing game.

Austria struggled to gain a foothold in the match, committing unforced errors and leaving gaps in their defense. Kramzar nearly doubled the lead, but her shot was saved by Austrian goalkeeper Marielle El Sherif. The Austrian attack failed to register a single shot on target before halftime, highlighting their struggles to create clear-cut chances.

Second Half Fails to Spark Improvement

The second half began with a let-off for Austria, as Lara Prasnikar shot wide after a defensive error. However, the pattern of play remained largely unchanged. Schriebl responded by making a triple substitution just before the hour mark, bringing on Lisa Kolb, Carina Brunold, and later, Nicole Ojukwu for her debut. Despite the changes, Austria continued to struggle to create opportunities, and failed to register a single shot on target throughout the entire match. A late Austrian free kick grazed the crossbar, but ultimately proved harmless.

Captain Sarah Puntigam, a veteran midfielder and Austria’s all-time leading appearance maker with 157 caps as of May 30, 2025, according to records, was unable to inspire her team to a comeback. Puntigam currently plays for the Houston Dash, having joined the NWSL club in 2023 after stints in Germany, Switzerland, and France.

Post-Match Reflections

Following the match, Austria head coach Alexander Schriebl expressed his disappointment with his team’s performance. “We didn’t find our game from the start, made too many mistakes with the ball. We gave the opponent confidence. We didn’t deserve to win here. It felt like we were more fearful than usual. We didn’t show the courage you need in a game like this. In the second half, we were a bit more dominant, but we couldn’t find a way to turn into dangerous. We didn’t implement what we had planned,” he said.

Forward Nicole Billa echoed her coach’s sentiments, acknowledging the team’s struggles. “It hurts a lot. When you come here with goals and then lose… it’s hard to draw conclusions right after the game. I think we are partly to blame ourselves given that we made unnecessary mistakes. We still need time to gel as a team. You can see that we don’t yet have that harmony on the pitch, that combination play we’re used to. We need to operate on that.”

Looking Ahead: A Daunting Double-Header Against Germany

The defeat leaves Austria facing an uphill battle in their quest for World Cup qualification. Next up is a challenging double-header against Germany, starting with an away match on April 14th, followed by a home fixture in Ried four days later. Germany currently tops Group A4 with six points and a goal difference of +9, having defeated Norway 4-0 in their second match.

WM-Qualifikation, Gruppe A4

Saturday:

Slowenia – Austria 1:0 (1:0)

Koper, SR Gutewa (BUL)

Tor: Kramzar (21.)

Austria: El Sherif – Naschenweng, Gutmann, Kirchberger, Hanshaw (58./D’Angelo) – Schasching (81./Plattner), Puntigam, Dunst – Brunnthaler (58./Kolb) – Hickelsberger (58./Brunold), Billa (69./Ojukwu)

Gelbe Karten Österreich: Gutmann, Schasching

The road to qualification is now significantly steeper for Austria, and they will need to produce a dramatic improvement in their performances to have any chance of reaching their first-ever Women’s World Cup.

Next up: Austria travels to Germany on April 14th for a crucial qualifying match. Stay tuned to Archysport for full coverage.