Next Tuesday, former SPG-Blau-Weiß/Kleinmünchen player Hannah Fankhauser will celebrate her 18th birthday, and the Tyrolean-born player has already prepared an early present for herself. The 1.57 meter tall winger, whose market value is estimated at 20,000 euros, is considered a promising football talent. In the 2:1 win against Ghana at the start of the U20 World Cup in Bogota, Fankhauser made history and scored Austria’s first goal in the history of world championships.
Laura Spinn powered through on the right side, sent the ball to the middle, Valentina Mädl swept the ball over, Fankhauser ran in and scored with a clean shot to make it 1-0 (12th minute) – cheers, excitement, and happiness in front of 1,400 eyewitnesses in the aging Estadio de Techo, including around 40 from home (mostly family and friends). More important than the goal, however, was the victory, which opens the door to the round of 16 ahead of the two other group matches against New Zealand (Friday, 3 a.m., ORF Sport+) and Japan (September 9, 1 a.m., ORF Sport+), especially since the four best third-placed teams in the group also reach the knockout phase.
Fan von Cristiano Ronaldo
“It was a really good team effort, without which my goal would not have been possible. Of course I am happy, it came at a very good time,” said Fankhauser, who has been playing for runner-up Vienna since July. In the spring she really put herself on display in Linz. Despite her youth, the newcomer, who “outs” herself as a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and is also an excellent ski racer, became a regular player straight away. In eight Bundesliga matches for SPG Blau-Weiß/Kleinmünchen she was on the scoresheet three times and also recorded an assist. In the foreseeable future she will be heading to the senior national team and abroad.
But right now, the full focus is on the U20 World Cup, where director Nicole Ojukwu (18/SC Freiburg) scored the 2-0 from the penalty spot (71st minute). Coach Markus Hackl was also pleased: “The first victory of an ÖFB women’s team at a World Cup feels really good – unbelievable!”