51�Թ�

"These games are so special for Auckland City," said former England midfielder Anita Asante, who was co-commentating on the game for Channel 5.

His high school coach at Jordan, Elijah Asante, is now head coach at Hamilton and said he expects Boyd to do a good job inspiring Jordan players because of his own success story.

Former England defender Anita Asante told ITV: "The most important thing is the right players are getting the right minutes to feel prepared going into the Euros."

Although they return most of their top performers from last year’s secondary that ranked seventh in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game compared to 30th in 2023, the Chargers have renewed competition at cornerback without Kristian Fulton and Asante Samuel Jr. Fulton parlayed a resurgent season with the Chargers into a multi-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent, and Samuel remains a free agent after a shoulder injury limited the former second-round pick to just four games last year.

Anita Asante's 20-year career began at Arsenal after progressing through the club's youth ranks, where she made 160 appearances.