New Zealand coach Tom Sermanni to step down after Olympics

New Zealand soccer is on the coaching hunt.

Head coach Tom Sermanni is scheduled to step down as the Football Ferns’ head coach this August, following the conclusion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, New Zealand Football confirmed Thursday. 

Sermanni joined the team on an initial 9-month contract in October 2018, leading the Ferns at the 2018 OFC Women’s Nations Cup, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019, the Algarve Cup 2020 and to stand-out friendly wins against England and Norway over the past two and a half years. 

The Football Ferns will face off against the USA, Australia and Sweden in Group G in Tokyo. 

NZF will now begin the process of finding Sermanni’s successor, who will hope to develop and lead the team to the 2023 World Cup, which New Zealand will co-host with Australia.