Cardiff City FC Women welcome Cascade YC Women to Cardiff International Sports Campus on Sunday afternoon, 2pm KO.
The Bluebirds begin their defence of the FAW Women’s Cup, having defeated Cardiff Metropolitan University in a memorable final at the end of last season.
Iain Darbyshire’s side head into this weekend on the back of a fantastic start to the league campaign, winning the opening four fixtures without conceding a goal.
Opponents Cascade YC Women currently compete in the Adran South, having previously been in the top-flight in the 2020/21 season.
“I’m very excited for this weekend,” Iain began. “I think they’ll be very physical, they’re a good club. Every time we’ve played them, it’s been difficult at times. They played our U19s in pre-season and had a really good game. They’ll be difficult to play against, but we focus on ourselves and if we play to our strengths, I think we have a good chance of making it into the next round.
“We’ve got a fantastic U19s squad and a fantastic U16s squad, who are both doing really well. We pride ourselves on being able to rotate and bring through young talent. That’s what we aim to do on Sunday and it’s their time to show what they can do for the first-team.”
A huge talent for the U19s side is winger Mikayla Cook, whose eagerness to return following an ankle injury is clear:
She said: “I’m really excited. It’s my first proper game back since coming back from being injured. I think it’s going to be a good game back for me and the team. The girls have been phenomenal so far this season, just watching them has been a pleasure, let alone playing with them, so I’m really excited to get back playing.”