Western United attacker Kahli Johnson has been rewarded for her consistent development with a call-up to the Young Matildas squad.
The 10-day camp will begin on Monday and will see the Young Matildas set up camp in the west of Melbourne in partnership with Wyndham City Council.
The camp will include friendlies against Liberty A-League Women leaders Western United and Melbourne City.
United’s meeting with the Young Matildas will be played at City Vista Pavilion and Sports Field on Monday 20 February, with fans welcome free of charge for a 10:00am kick-off.
Western United General Manager of Football Mal Impiombato said this was worthy recognition for Johnson after her efforts since joining the Green and Black.
“We are delighted that Kahli has been rewarded for her work ethic and consistent development since becoming a part of our inaugural Liberty A-League program,” he said.
“We wanted to ensure that we gave opportunities to talented young players to be part of our inaugural season, and Kahli has fit the bill as that kind of player.
“We wish Kahli all the best for this upcoming camp and look forward to her hopefully receiving further national team call-ups in the future.”
Johnson has been a regular for Western United throughout the Liberty A-League season, missing just one of the 11 matches so far.
Five of her 10 appearances have been from the start, the first of which in Round 1 against Melbourne Victory was her maiden senior professional start.
The 18-year-old has caught the eye with her athleticism and skill on the wing, adept at using her pace and trickery to weave in and out of trouble and create chances for her teammates.
Johnson has one assist to her name so far this season and will continue to play an important role in the front third for Mark Torcaso’s league-leading team.
The youngster has been a staple in recent camps for Leah Blayney’s Young Matildas, contributing significantly to the team’s qualification campaign for last year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.
Johnson went on to play in all three of Australia’s group matches at the tournament and will now hope to help the side secure qualification to another major tournament in upcoming camps.
